Phase evolution and room-temperature photoluminescence in amorphous SiC alloy

Amorphous SiC thin films with varying phases and compositions have been synthesized using a low frequency inductively coupled high density plasma source in a hydrogen diluted methane (CH4) and silane (SiH4) mixture. The optical and electrical properties along with the microstructures of the thin films are systematically investigated. The feedstock gas ratio of CH4/SiH4 leads to the fluctuations of the optical bandgap, the carbon content, and the transition of Si-Si bonding structure from crystalline to intermediate phase and finally to amorphous phase. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) with nearly fixed emission energy has been observed in the thin films. The underlying PL mechanism is explained in the framework of quantum confinement-luminescence center model. The photoexcitation process occurs in the nc-Si quantum dots embedded in the host SiC matrix, whereas the photoemission process occurs in the luminescence centers in the surrounding SiC or at SiC-Si interfaces. The PL evolution with the chemical composition in the films is analyzed in terms of the density of the Si quantum dots and the Si-C bond. C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4721412]