Mechanism of chemical erosion of sputter-deposited C:H films
- 16 November 1992
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 61 (20), 2414-2416
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.108182
Abstract
The mechanism of thermally activated chemical erosion of sputter-deposited C:H films of a few atomic layer thickness is investigated using thermal desorption spectroscopy. Methane, CH3 radicals, and various C2Hj species of molecular and radical nature desorb as gaseous products above 600 K competitively to H2. C-CiHj bond breaking is determined to be the rate limiting step of hydrocarbon production. The reaction is of first order with respect to CiHj precursors in the films with a distribution of activation energies, 56±5 kcal/mol for methane production. CH3 radical desorption occurs predominantly from the very surface of the C:H films.Keywords
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