Extended x-ray-absorption and electron-energy-loss fine-structure studies of the local atomic structure of amorphous unhydrogenated and hydrogenated silicon carbide
Extended x-ray-absorption (EXAFS) and electron-energy-loss fine-structure (EXELFS) measurements have been performed on amorphous unhydrogenated silicon carbide, a-SiC, and amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide, a-SiC:H. Two hydrogenated samples with hydrogen concentrations corresponding, respectively, to H flows of 4 sccm (20% of argon flow) and 8 sccm (40% of argon flow) during the reactive sputtering process, were analyzed (sccm denotes standard cubic centimeters per minute at STP). It is found that short-range order (SRO), consisting of the same tetrahedrally coordinated units present in cubic crystalline c-SiC (zinc-blende structure), where a Si atom is surrounded by nearly four C atoms and vice versa, does exist in all the amorphous samples. This SRO, however, is detected only at a level of the first C and Si coordination shells in a-SiC and a-SiC:H. The structural disorder of the first Si and C coordination shells in all forms of amorphous SiC is somewhat greater than c-SiC, and it decreases appreciably as hydrogen is added. The a-SiC sample exhibits large Si and C coordination numbers, almost identical to c-SiC, a low atomic density, and virtually the same Si-C bond length as c-SiC. These results indicate that a relatively small concentration of large voids exist in a highly disordered a-SiC matrix.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Physics, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York 12222
- OSTI ID:
- 6615763
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Vol. 38:18
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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