Optical Properties of a-SiC:H Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

In the present work a-SiC:H thin films were prepared using magnetron sputtering technique for different substrate temperatures from 100℃ to 290℃. Their optical properties were studied using the ellipsometry technique. The experimental results show that the optical band gap of the films varies from 2.00 eV to 2.18 eV for the hydrogenated films, whereas Eg is equal to 1.29 eV when the film does not contain hydrogen atoms and for Ts=100℃. The optoelectronic quality of the films seems to be the optimum when Ts=100℃ or Ts=220℃. Additionally, the refractive index exhibits an inverse relationship with E₉ as a function of Tₛ. Notably, these thin films were deposited 12 years ago, and their optical properties have remained stable since then.