Structure and elemental composition of transparent nanocomposite silicon oxycarbonitride films

Abstract

Based on thermodynamic simulation on the deposition of condensed phases with the complex composition in the Si–C–N–O–H system in a wide temperature range, using initial gas mixtures of 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazane (HSi(CH₃)₂)₂NH (TMDS), TMDS with a variable mixture of oxygen and nitrogen (O₂+xN₂), a method is developed to obtain SiC_xN_yO_z:H nanocomposite films by the plasma chemical decomposition of this gas mixture in the temperature range of 373-973 K. By FTIR and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy the structure of chemical bonds and the elemental composition of the obtained silicon oxycarbonitride films are studied. The in situ composition of the initial gas phase in PECVD processes is examined by optical emission spectroscopy.