Infrared absorption spectroscopy study of phase formation in SiC layers synthesized by carbon implantation into silicon with a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source

Abstract

Ion beam synthesis of SiC layers was performed by carbon implantation into silicon with a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source under various implantation and annealing conditions. The infrared absorption spectra of these SiC layers were found to be composed of two or three components, one attributed to amorphous SiC and the other two to β-SiC. At a fixed dose, the total amount of SiC formed was found to increase linearly with the implant energy and at a fixed energy, to increase with a fractional power of the dose D, namely, D γ with γ determined to be 0.41. It was also found that at a fixed dose there is a critical energy, and at a fixed energy there is a critical dose, at which the crystalline SiC fraction increases abruptly. These results were discussed in terms of the ion beam induced crystallization effect. Results on the effects of annealing to the total amount of SiC formed and the crystalline fraction are also presented and discussed.