Synthesis and characterization of 4H-SiC on C-plane sapphire by C 60 and Si molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract

4H-SiC (silicon carbide) films were grown on (0001) sapphire substrate at rather low temperatures(1000–1100 °C) with relative high deposition rate by using fullerene (C 60) and silicon solid sources molecular beam epitaxy with substrate nitridation and aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer deposition prior to the SiC deposition. The effects of substrate nitridation and AlN buffer layer to the adhesion of the SiC thin films on sapphire have been studied. X-Ray diffraction, pole figure, atomic force microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photoluminescence were employed for the analysis of composition, orientation of the film and surface morphology. Relative high deposition rate at ∼ 165 nm/h was achieved.