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HIGH-TEMPERATURE ANNEALING OF SILICON SUBOXIDE THIN FILMS OBTAINED BY GAS-JET ELECTRON BEAM PLASMA CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION

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Abstract

Thin films of amorphous nonstoichiometric silicon oxide ( a-SiO\(_{x}\):H, where \(0 < x < 2\)) are synthesized via gas-jet electron beam plasma chemical vapor deposition. The stoichiometric coefficient of the a-SiO\(_{x}\):H films is varied within a range of 0.47–1.63 as a function of \(R\), determined by the flow rate of the Ar–SiH4 mixture. High-temperature annealing (at 950°C for 2 h) of a-SiO\(_{x}\):H thin films causes the formation of crystalline silicon nanoparticles with a size of 8.3–12.3 nm. It is shown that, with an increase in \(R\), the degree of crystallinity of annealed films becomes higher by up to 66%. It is assumed that the position of a nanocrystalline silicon peak in the Raman spectra is affected by mechanical stresses. The quantitative estimation of such a stress yields 1.0–1.7 GPa.

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Correspondence to E. A. Baranov.

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Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, 2021, Vol. 63, No. 5, pp. 33-41. https://doi.org/10.15372/PMTF20220503.

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Baranov, E.A., Zamchiy, A.O., Lunev, N.A. et al. HIGH-TEMPERATURE ANNEALING OF SILICON SUBOXIDE THIN FILMS OBTAINED BY GAS-JET ELECTRON BEAM PLASMA CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION. J Appl Mech Tech Phy 63, 757–764 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0021894422050030

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