Light-Scattering Measurements of CVD Silicon Carbide
AbstractSurface morphologies created by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of silicon carbide were examined with light scattering. Silicon carbide was deposited from methyltrichlorosilane under various conditions to create different surfaces. A helium neon laser was used, and the scattered light was measured over a range of scattering angles. These measurements are compared with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations and profilometer measurements of the same surfaces. In theory the scattered light contains all of the information needed to provide a statistical description of a given surface; however, a complete vector theory for the scattering phenomena is too complex to provide any simple basis for experimental analysis. The application and limits of existing descriptions of scattering from a rough surface are discussed.