Improvements of stress controllability and radiation resistance by adding carbon to boron-nitride

The addition of an atom having different bonding radii to a matrix film is an effective method for changing the stress of the film. In plasma-enhanced CVD of BN, it is difficult to obtain tensile stress except for films rich in boron. The controllability of tensile stress in BN film was improved by introducing a small amount of carbon into the BN matrix, using plasma-enhanced CVD between 400 and 500 C. Transparent films with high Young's modulus and tensile strength were obtained. The radiation resistance of boron-nitro-carbide deposited at 400 C was five times better than that of BN deposited by low-pressure CVD at similar temperatures. 13 refs.