Investigation of the Electronic Properties of Silicon Carbide Films with Varied Si/C Ratios Annealed at Different Temperatures

Abstract

Hydrogenated amorphous SiC (a-SiC:H) films with various Si/C ratios were prepared using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique. These films were then subjected to thermal annealing at different temperatures to induce crystallization. The electronic properties of the annealed SiC films were investigated through temperature-dependent Hall mobility measurements. It was found that the room-temperature Hall mobilities in the SiC films increased with both the annealing temperature and the Si/C ratio. This increase was attributed to the improved crystallization in the SiC films. Importantly, SiC films with different Si/C ratios annealed at different temperatures exhibited varying temperature dependence behaviors in their Hall mobilities. To understand this behavior, a detailed investigation of the transport processes in SiC films was carried out, with a particular emphasis on the grain boundary scattering mechanisms.