AVS 61st International Symposium & Exhibition
    Plasma Science and Technology Thursday Sessions
       Session PS1+TF-ThM

Paper PS1+TF-ThM3
Novel Composite Materials Fabricated by Plasma-enhanced CVD of Carboranes and Pyridine or Benzene

Thursday, November 13, 2014, 8:40 am, Room 305

Session: Plasma Deposition and Plasma Assisted ALD
Presenter: Robinson James, University of North Texas
Authors: R. James, University of North Texas
U. Chiluwal, University of North Texas
E. Echeverria, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
R. Gapfizi, University of North Texas
J. Tae, University of North Texas
P.A. Dowben, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
J.A. Kelber, University of North Texas
Correspondent: Click to Email
Altering the electronic structure of carborane-derived boron carbides by incorporating aromatic compounds is of scientific and technological interest in neutron detection and microelectronics. The fabrication of novel composite materials derived from ortho-carborane or meta-carborane with benzene or pyridine by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at room temperature may lead to improved device performance over conventional boron carbides. The chemical composition and electronic structure of the resulting films were studied using in-situ x-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, UPS) respectively. XPS of composite films of carboranes with pyridine shows the evidence of B-N bond formation during the PECVD process. Pyridine incorporation in the boron carbide materials resulted in the improved adhesion of physical vapor deposited Cu (PVD Cu) overlayers on the surface. XPS indicates that no thermal induced diffusion/dewetting of Cu was observed in the ortho-carborane and pyridine composite films even after annealing up to 1000K in UHV. In contrast, pure boron carbide films exhibited poor adhesion of Cu overlayers on the surface resulted in the significant dewetting during 400-600 K annealing although no diffusion of Cu was observed even after annealing up to 1000 K. Composite films of ortho-carborane or meta-carborane with benzene were also grown on Si substrates by PECVD. These carborane: benzene composite films exhibit augmented B-C bond formation due to linking of benzene with the icosahedral carborane units as evidenced by XPS.