Laser Transformed SiC Thin Films

ABSTRACTSilicon carbide has excellent physical and electronic properties for use in devices when higher temperatures or higher power densities are required. We have investigated a direct laser conversion technique to create electrical conductors on the high band-gap silicon carbide. Thin films of silicon carbide (SiC) were sputter deposited on AI2O3, SiO2, and Si substrates using a SiC target with an RF planar magnetron. These films were irradiated at 308 nm with multiple 15 ns excimer laser pulses creating 0.5 to 2 mm wide electrically conducting paths. Both the irradiated and unirradiated films were evaluated as a function of substrate type, deposition temperature, finish, stoichiomelry, annealing temperature, sputter gas, film thickness, and laser processing conditions. The lowest resistivity films, originally 10 ohm-m, were calculated to be 160 μohm-m obtained after irradiation, which compares to a value of 50 μohm-m obtained after irradiating bulk SiC. The films were characterized using XPS, SIMS, AES, SEM, and Raman spectroscopy. We were able to characterize the composition of the films and conducting traces, the surface oxide, the critical binding energies, the lattice structure, and the morphology of the microstructure. Models for the phase transformations and conductivity have been formulated.