Effect of N-2/Ar gas mixture composition on the chemistry of SiCBN thin films prepared by RF reactive sputtering

In this work we report the deposition and characterization of amorphous thin films of silicon boron carbon nitride (SiCBN). The SiCBN thin films were deposited in a radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering system using reactive cosputtering of silicon carbide (SiC) and boron nitride (BN) targets. Films of different compositions were deposited by varying the ratios of argon and nitrogen gas in the sputtering ambient. Surface characterization of the deposited films was performed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical profilometry. Studies reveal that the chemical state of the films is highly sensitive to nitrogen flow ratios during sputtering. Surface analysis shows that smooth and uniform SiCBN films can be produced using this technique. (c) 2007 The Electrochemical Society