Growth of Cubic SiC Thin Films on Silicon from Single Source Precursors by Supersonic Jet Epitaxy

Abstract

AbstractCubic SiC thin films have been grown by supersonic jet epitaxy of single molecular precursors on Si(100), Si(111) and Separation by IMplanted OXygen (SIMOX) silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates at temperatures in the range 780 - 1000 °C. Real-time, in situ optical reflectivity was used to monitor the film growth. Films were characterized by ellipsometry, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Monocrystalline, crack-free epitaxial cubic SiC thin films were successfully grown at 830 °C on carbonized Si(111) substrates using supersonic molecular jets of dimethylisopropylsilane, (CH3)2CHSiH(CH3)2, and diethylmethylsilane, (CH3CH2)2SiHCH3. Highly oriented cubic SiC thin films in the [100] direction were obtained on SIMOX(100) at 900 °C with dimethylisopropylsilane and on Si(100) at 1000 °C with diethylmethylsilane. A carbonized Si(100) surface was found to enhance SiC deposition from diethylmethylsilane at a growth temperature of 950 °C.