Effect of SF6 Plasma Etching on the Optical, Morphological and Structural Properties of SiC Films

Amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) films hold promise for microelectronic and MEMS devices. Prior to their use in microfabricated devices, these films undergo plasma etching. This study investigates reactive ion etching (RIE) of sputtered a-SiC films on Si (100) substrates using sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) gas. The focus is on the impact of RF power on the thickness, structure, chemistry, and morphology of the SiC film. Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) analysis of the etched samples indicates crystalline SiC formation at low temperatures. Surface morphology analysis using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) confirms the GIXRD results. The RIE process unintentionally induces crystallization of a-SiC films, but adjusting etching process parameters allows control over film crystallinity.