Micromechanical properties of silicon-carbide thin films deposited using single-source chemical-vapor deposition

1,3-Disilabutane is used as a single-source precursor to deposit conformal silicon-carbide films on silicon atomic-force-microscopy cantilevers. By measuring the resonance frequency of the cantilever as a function of silicon-carbide film thickness and developing an appropriate model, the value of the film’s elastic modulus is determined. This value is in good agreement with those reported for silicon-carbide films deposited using conventional dual-source chemical-vapor deposition. Additionally, we comment on the feasibility of integrating this process into the fabrication technology for microelectromechanical systems.