Quantitative analysis of a-Si1−xCx : H thin films by vibrational spectroscopy and nuclear methods

Abstract Thin amorphous hydrogenated silicon–carbon films, a-Si 1− x C x  : H were deposited by magnetron sputtering on glass and mono-crystalline substrates with carbon content from x =0.2 to 1, wide variation of hydrogen concentration and different degrees of structural ordering. The obtained films were investigated by Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA). The results of the quantitative analyses obtained by the above-mentioned techniques were compared. It has been concluded that the applied vibrational methods can be used quantitatively which enables estimation of the degree of chemical ordering in the analysed samples.