Mechanism of Silicon Carbide Film Deposition at Room Temperature Using Monomethylsilane Gas

The mechanism of silicon carbide chemical vapor deposition on a silicon surface using a monomethylsilane gas at room temperature was studied. Because the silicon carbide film surface tended to have large hillocks at the high monomethylsilane gas concentrations, the surface chemical reaction for the silicon carbide film formation was considered to include a three-dimensional pass, even at room temperature. The composition of the obtained film was consistent with that expected from the film formation process. Because the lowest temperature of hydrogen annealing for enabling the silicon carbide film formation coincided with the lowest temperature for practically removing the native oxide film by the hydrogen annealing, the silicon dimer at the silicon surface formed by the hydrogen annealing and the cooling in ambient hydrogen was concluded to play a key role. (C) 2011 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3545071] All rights reserved.