Effect of implanted argon on hardness of novel magnetron sputtered Si–B–C–N materials: experiments and ab initio simulations

• Published in: Journal of physics. Condensed matter 2007-05, Vol.19 (19), p.196228-196228 (13)
• Main Authors: Houška, J, Kalaš, J, Vlček, J, Bilek, M M M, McKenzie, D R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Mechanical and acoustical properties; Physical properties of thin films, nonelectronic; Physics; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
• ISSN: 0953-8984; 1361-648X
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/19/19/196228

Amorphous silicon-boron-carbon-nitrogen alloys were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in nitrogen-argon gas mixtures, and their structure and resulting mechanical properties were investigated using a combined approach of experiment and molecular-dynamics simulations. We show a difference between structures of the materials deposited with a low substrate bias voltage of -100 V leading to a 2% content of implanted Ar atoms, and a high substrate bias voltage of -500 V, resulting in a 6% content of implanted Ar atoms. We find that, while at the higher Ar content the material is practically homogeneous, at the low Ar content there are similar volumes of Si-rich (around the implanted Ar atoms) and Si-poor zones. This can increase material hardness. We examine a temperature dependence of this phenomenon in the light of experimental results.