Growth Mechanism of Silicon Carbide Films by Chemical Vapor Deposition below 1273

SiC films were prepared from the reaction of Si 2 H 6 with C 2 H 4 or C 2 H 2 at relatively low temperatures ranging from 873 K to 1273 K by low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition. The deposition rate profiles determined by gravimetry and the alloy composition (carbon content, x, for Si 1‐x C x ) profiles determined by X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy in the reactor were mainly investigated. The results revealed that the carbon content, x , was a function of the temperature, ratio of partial pressures of source gases, and source gas species (C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 2 ). From these results we deduced that SiC formation occurred by two major competing reaction processes: (1) the silicon deposition processes, SiH 2 Si (wall) and Si 2 H 6 Si (wall), and (2) the carbon deposition process, C 2 H 4 + SiH 2 vinylsilane or C 2 H 2 + SiH 2 ethynylsilane.