The deposition and characterization of v-SiC and diamond/v-SiC composite films

Cubic silicon carbide (ß-SiC) has been deposited by a microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (MWCVD) process, using a hydrogen/tetramethylsilane (TMS) gas mixture. The conditions for preparing ß-SiC correspond well with those for diamond deposition. The necessary silicon content in the gas phase for a ß-SiC growth rate comparable with normal diamond deposition is only 1% of carbon for diamond growth. Based on this knowledge an idea to prepare diamond/ß-SiC composite film was developed and successfully realized. The experimental details are described and the growth mechanism is discussed.