Characterization of SiC films deposited by laser ablation technique for x-ray membranes

Laser Ablation Deposition (LAD) technique was used to produce hydrogen-free SiC films on (100) Si substrate. Deposition temperatures of 300°C and 450°C were investigated. The Si2p and C1s core levels and the Si-C absorption band of the a-SiC LAD films were characterized by using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-Transform Infra Red (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy, respectively. The high compressive stress of the as-deposited SiC films was released and controlled by means of rapid thermal annealing. A correlation between the stress evolution and the Si-C bond density of the annealed films is pointed out. Optical transmission and mechanical properties (stress, Young’s modulus) measurements were carried out on the free-standing membranes fabricated from SiC LAD films. The effect of the deposition temperature on the SiC membrane properties is discussed.