Hydrogen depth profile measurement in a-Si1-xCx:H films by elastic recoil detection

The hydrogen content and depth profile in a-Si_1-xC_x:H films were measured by the elastic recoil detection (ERD) technique. It is shown that the hydrogen content changes from 15 to 50 at% with increasing carbon content x. For x<0.4 the hydrogen content increases mainly due to the increase of the Si-CH₃ contribution and for x > 0.4 due to C-H bonds. By combining the ERD and IR results, the proportionality between the number of Si-CH₃ bonds and the intensity of IR absorption due to the Si-CH₃ rocking mode vibration is ascertained. The proportionality constant is found to be A^roc_Si-CH3 = 5 × 10¹⁹ cm^-2.