SIMS Investigation of Ge Incorporation in 3C-SiC Layers Grown from Ge-Si Melts

Abstract

We report the results of a SIMS and micro-Raman investigation performed on cubic (3C) SiC crystals grown on hexagonal SiC seeds using a Ge-Si bath and the so-called Vapor Liquid Solid growth technique. From SIMS measurements, we find a Ge concentration which, roughly, scales like the Ge concentration in the melt and, in term of micro-Raman measurements, explains the presence of weak but discernable Ge-Ge peaks around 300 cm-1. Since no similar Si-Si vibrations are found, this discard the possibility of having at the same time both Ge and Si constitutional super-cooling with two separate Ge and Si phases.