Silicon Carbide Thin Films Produced by CVD Using Liquid Precursor Containing Silicon and Carbon

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This invention describes a process for producing amorphous silicon carbide (SiC) thin films using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with liquid precursors that contain both silicon and carbon in a single source. By adding a nitrogen-containing dopant to the liquid starting materials, the deposited amorphous layers can subsequently be crystallized and effectively doped through a high-temperature annealing step. The approach simplifies the precursor supply chain by combining silicon and carbon sources into one liquid feedstock, enabling precise control over film composition and doping.

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• Fabrication of nitrogen-doped crystalline SiC thin films for high-power semiconductor devices such as Schottky diodes and MOSFETs.
• Deposition of protective SiC coatings on mechanical components operating in high-temperature or chemically aggressive environments.
• Production of SiC layers for use in harsh-environment MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) sensors.
• Manufacturing of SiC-based thin-film transistors or diodes for high-frequency electronics.
• Coating of optical components with amorphous SiC films for UV or infrared applications requiring hard, chemically resistant surfaces.

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• Using a single liquid precursor containing both silicon and carbon simplifies the CVD process setup and reduces the number of precursor handling systems required.
• Liquid precursors offer easier and safer handling compared to conventional gaseous silicon and carbon sources such as silane or chlorosilanes.
• The combined deposition-and-crystallization approach allows precise tuning of film crystallinity by controlling the post-deposition annealing temperature.
• Incorporating a nitrogen-containing dopant directly into the liquid precursor enables uniform and controllable n-type doping of the resulting SiC films.
• The process is compatible with a wide range of substrates since the amorphous film is deposited first and crystallized in a separate controlled step, reducing thermal stress during deposition.

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Patent Abstract

A method for producing amorphous silicon carbide thin films is described, in which the silicon carbide thin films are produced starting from liquid precursors containing silicon and carbon. By adding a nitrogen-containing dopant to the liquid precursors, the films can be crystallized and effectively doped through a further process step at high temperature.