Microstructural Characterization of 3C-SiC Thin Films Grown by Flash Lamp Induced Liquid Phase Epitaxy

摘要

Thin 3C-SiC films epitaxially grown on Si-substrate are substantially improved by the FLASIC process, which involves irradiation with flash lamps with pulse duration of 20ms. The disadvantages of the standard FLASIC process are the undulations introduced in the SiC film due to melting of the Si-substrate and the Si mass transport near the SiC/Si interface during the flash. An improved structure was realised in order to minimize the undulations of the SiC, improving also the quality of the film. This structure involves the deposition of a silicon overlayer (SOL) on the initial SiC layer, followed by an additional SiC capping layer acting as a source for SiC transfer by liquid phase epitaxy to the lower SiC layer. Significant mass SiC transport from the upper to the lower SiC layer through the SOL occurs during the flash. The new structure is characterized as inverse -FLASiC. The structural characteristics of the new structure were studied by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.