Behaviors of hydrogen in C-SiC films with IR and SIMS analyses

C-SiC films with different content of SiC were prepared with magnetron sputtering deposition followed by Ar+ ion bombardment. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy depth profiles of hydrogen for the samples of C-SiC coated stainless steel and stainless steel substrate after H+ ion implantation and thermal annealing show different hydrogen concentrations in C-SiC coatings and stainless steel. Infrared (IR) transmission measurement was selected to study the mechanism of hydrogen retention by C-SiC films. The vibrational spectra in the range between 400 and 3200 cm(-1) in IR transmission spectra show the Si-CH3, Si-CH2, Si-H, CH2, CH3 etc. bonds, which are responsible for retaining hydrogen. Apart from the mode above, there also exist bonds related to carbon and silicon such as Si-C, C=C. The contamination of oxygen entered the film to form C=O and SiO2 configurations and hydrogen contamination also formed Si-CH2 mode in the films. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.