Structural and optical properties of the SiCN thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

Silicon carbonitride (SiCN) thin films were deposited on n-type Si (1 0 0) and glass substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering of a polycrystalline silicon target in a mixture of argon (Ar), nitrogen (N₂) and acetylene (C₂H₂). The properties of the films were characterized by scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The results show that the C₂H₂ flow rate plays an important role in the composition, structural and optical properties of the films. The films have an even surface and an amorphous structure. With the increase of C₂H₂ flow rate, the C content gradually increases while Si and N contents have a tendency to decrease in the SiCN films, and the optical band gap of the films monotonically decreases. The main bonds are Si-O, N-H_n, C-C, C-N, Si-N, Si-C and Si-H in the SiCN films while the chemical bonding network of Si-O, C-C, C-O, C-N, N-Si and CN is formed in the surface of the SiCN films.