PHOTOLUMINESCENCE OF NANOCRYSTALLINE SiC FILMS PREPARED BY RF MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Amorphous SiC films are deposited on Si (111) substrates by rf magnetron sputtering and then annealed at 1200℃ for different times by a dc self-heating method in a vacuum annealing system. The crystallization of the amorphous SiC is determined by Raman scattering at room temperature and X-ray diffraction. The experimental result indicates that the SiC nanocrystals have formed in the films. The topography of the as-annealed films is characterized by atomic force microscopy. Measurements of photoluminescence of the as-annealed films show blue or violet light emission from the nanocrystalline SiC films and photoluminescence peak shifts to short wavelength side as the annealing time decreases.