Atmosphere Effects in the Processing of Silicon Carbide and Silicon Oxycarbide Thin Films and Coatings

Silicon carbide and silicon oxycarbide films were prepared from solutions of polycarbosilane and methyldimethoxysilane + tetraethoxysilane, respectively, and deposited on different substrates (Si wafers, stainless steel plates, sapphire and SiC fibers). The coatings were heated at different temperatures and in different atmospheres, such as regular grade argon, ultra high purity and argon vacuum. The films were characterized using different techniques (FT-IR, XRD, SIMS, Ellipsometry). The influence of the processing parameters (heat treatment temperature and atmosphere) on the final microstructure of the coatings is discussed in this article.