Influence of Carbon Content on the Crystallographic Structure of Boron Carbide Films

TL;DR

This study investigates how varying carbon content affects the crystallographic structure of boron carbide films synthesized via laser-assisted chemical vapour deposition, revealing complex structural behavior related to composition.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between carbon content and the lattice parameters of boron carbide films using advanced microstructural analysis.

Findings

Non-linear variation of lattice constants with carbon content

Complex structure influences crystallographic parameters

Laser CVD effectively synthesizes boron carbide films

Abstract

Boron carbide thin films were synthesised by laser-assisted chemical vapour deposition (LCVD), using a CO2 laser beam and boron trichloride and methane as precursors. Boron and carbon contents were measured by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Microstructural analysis was carried out by Raman microspectroscopy and glancing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) was used to study the crystallographic structure and to determine the lattice parameters of the polycrystalline films. The rhombohedral-hexagonal boron carbide crystal lattice constants were plotted as a function of the carbon content, and the non-linear observed behaviour is interpreted on the basis of the complex structure of boron carbide. Keywords: Boron carbide; Laser CVD; crystallographic structure; micro-Raman spectroscopy.