Noise characteristics of, radio frequency sputtered amorphous silicon carbide films

Noise measurements of radio frequency sputtered hydrogenated (a-SiC:H) and unhydrogenated (a-SiC) amorphous silicon carbide films have been carried out. Two Lorenztian components were found in the noise spectra of the a-SiC:H and a-SiC films. Discrete traps, created by the sputtering process, were suggested to be responsible for the Lorenztian spectra observed. As only a relatively small amount of hydrogenation was achieved in our a-SiC:H films, passivation of the discrete traps was therefore not significant. This accounts for the Lorenztian spectra of the a-SiC:H films. We propose that furnace annealing has reduced the discrete traps substantially so that only the 1/f noise was observed in the annealed samples. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8919(98)08221-8].