Highly uniform step and terrace structures on SiC(0001) surfaces

Abstract

Highly uniform step and termination structures on 4H- and 6H-SiC(0001) surfaces have been prepared via moderate annealing in disilane. Atomic force microscopy and dark-field low-energy electron microscopy imaging indicate single-phase terminations separated solely by half-unit-cell-height steps, driven by stacking fault energy. The atomic structure of 4H-SiC(0001)- <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$\surd$</tex></formula> 3 <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$\times$</tex></formula> <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$\surd$</tex> </formula> 3R30 <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$^{\circ}$</tex></formula> -Si has been determined quantitatively by nanospot low-energy electron diffraction. The topmost stacking fault at the 4H surface has been found to be between the second and third bilayers.