Atomic force microscopy study of microcrystalline SiC fabricated by ion beam synthesis

Abstract

Ion beam synthesis of silicon carbide (SiC) layers was performed by metal vapor vacuum arc implantation. Subsequent furnace annealing was carried out in nitrogen at various temperatures to form stoichiometric SiC layers. The implanted layers were characterized by various techniques. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry analysis revealed the carbon distribution and formation of the SiC layers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra showed absorption peaks produced by the amorphous and β-phase crystalline SiC layers. The crystallinity was increased by high temperature annealing. The dependence of the surface morphology and dynamics of the crystallization on annealing temperature and time was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the first time. At about 900 °C, nanocrystalline SiC was formed on the sample surface and contained columnar grains with a full width of half maximum of tens of nanometers and a height of 10 nm. A conducting AFM was used to study the electrical properties of the formed SiC layer on the nanometer scale.