Chemical erosion of amorphous hydrogenated boron films

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.119885· OSTI ID:542117

Annen, A; Jacob, W ^[1]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

Amorphous-hydrogenated boron (a-B:H) and carbon (a-C:H) thin films were prepared by radio-frequency plasma deposition using (B{sub 2}H{sub 6}+H{sub 2}) or CH{sub 4} as a precursor gas. The film composition and density were investigated by ion-beam analysis. The films were eroded by hydrogen electron cyclotron resonance plasmas at floating potential and by atomic hydrogen dissociated by a hot filament. The temperature of the substrates was increased during the erosion process from 330 to 680 K. Erosion rates were measured {ital in situ} by ellipsometry. a-B:H films are shown to be much more resistant to erosion by hydrogen ions (H{sup +}) and atomic hydrogen (H{sup 0}) than a-C:H films. In contrast to a-C:H films, no chemical erosion of a-B:H films by H{sup 0} was observed at temperatures below 600 K. Ion energies lower than the threshold energy for physical sputtering cause measurable erosion rates for a-B:H films. It is concluded that this is a synergistic effect of simultaneous H{sup 0} and H{sup +} bombardment and it is designated as ion-induced chemical erosion. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 542117
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 71; ISSN 0003-6951; ISSN APPLAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AMORPHOUS STATE
BORON
CARBON
EROSION
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN ADDITIONS
HYDROGEN IONS 1 PLUS
PLASMA
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THIN FILMS
WEAR