Compositional and structural properties of amorphous SixC1−x : H alloys prepared by reactive sputtering

Amorphous SixC1−x : H alloys are prepared by simultaneous rf reactive sputtering of silicon and graphite in a H2‐Ar gas mixture. Silicon, carbon, and hydrogen contents are measured for the entire range of x by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), Rutherford‐backscattering method, and thermal evolution of hydrogen. Evolution temperature dependence of the number of evolved hydrogen atoms is measured. The hydrogen‐evolution behavior and the optical gap are x dependent. These phenomena are discussed in the light of chemical‐bonding states.