OICC Press International Nano Letters 2228-5326 2 1 (December 2012) 2012 06 07 Characterization of catalytic chemical vapor-deposited SiCN thin film coatings 10.1186/2228-5326-2-4 EN Suresh Neethirajan Biological Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, 50 Stone Road EastON, N1G 2W1, CA Takahita Ono Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579, JP Esashi Masayoshi Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579, JP Journal Article 2012 06 07 Abstract Silicon carbonitride thin films of 480 to 730-nm thicknesses were grown on silicon substrate using ammonia and hexamethyldisilazane gas sources using catalytic chemical vapor deposition process. Compositions of silicon, carbon and nitrogen in the SiCN films were varied by changing the flow rate of ammonia gas. The effect of deposition conditions on the structural, optical and mechanical properties of SiCN thin films was examined. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that the higher flow rate of ammonia gas results in higher nitrogen and lower carbon content in the deposited thin films. The measurement of stress as a function of substrate temperature in the SiCN film showed that the stress changes from compressive to tensile in the range of 275°C to 325°C. With these preliminary characterization tests, it is expected that SiCN nano-thin films can be used for developing sensors for harsh environment.