Chemical character of BC _x N _y layers grown by CVD with trimethylamine borane

Abstract

Abstract Layers of BC x N y were produced in a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process using trimethylamine borane with He, N 2 , and NH 3 , respectively, as precursor. These layers deposited on Si (100) wafers were characterized chemically by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and synchrotron radiation‐based total reflection X‐ray fluorescence analysis combined with near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (TXRF‐NEXAFS). As a result, the composition of the material produced without NH 3 is a B‐C bonds containing compound with an atomic relation 1:1. Adding NH 3 with a partial pressure of up to about 1.3 Pa the product could be identified as B 2 C 2 N. Increasing the partial pressure of NH 3 to 1.7 and 2.1 Pa the product was enriched in nitrogen yielding a compound characterized as h‐BCN. In all cases an impurity of oxygen was observed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.