Optical Characterization and Modeling of Sulfur Incorporated Nanocrystalline Carbon Thin Films Deposited By Hot Filament CVD
Abstract
Sulfur incorporated nanocrystalline carbon (n-C:S) thin films grown on molybdenum substrates by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) using gas mixtures of methane, hydrogen and a range of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) concentrations are optically examined using Raman spectroscopy (RS) and ex sin? spectroscopic phase modulated ellipsometry (SPME) from near IR to near UV (1.5-5.0 eV) obtaining their vibrational frequencies and pseudodielectric function, respectively. The ellipsometry data (< epsilon(sub r)(E) >, < epsilon(sub i)(E) >) were modeled using Bruggeman effective-medium theory (BEMT) and five parameters Forouhi and Bloomer (FB) dispersion Model. A simplified two-layer model consisting of a top layer comprising an aggregate mixture of sp(sup 3)C+sp(sup 2)C+void and a bulk layer (L2), defined as a dense amorphized FB-modeled material was found to simulate the data reasonably well. Through these simulations, it was possible to estimate the dielectric function of our n-C:S material, along with the optical bandgap (E(sub g)), film thickness (d), and roughness layer (sigma) as a function of H2S. The physical interpretation(s) of the modeling parameters obtained were discussed. The Raman and ellipsometry results indicate that the average size of nanocrystallites in the sulfur-incorporated carbon thin films becomes smaller with increasing H2S concentration, consistent with AFM measurements. The bandgap was found to decrease systematically with increasing H2S concentration, indicating the enhancement of midgap states and sp(sup 2) C network, in agreement with RS results. These results are compared to those obtained for the films grown without sulfur (n-C), in order to study the influence of sulfur addition to the CVD process. This analysis led to a correlation between the film microstructure and its electronic properties.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADP012245
Entities
People
- B. R. Weiner
- G. Morell
- Salil Gupta
Organizations
- University of Puerto Rico