Effect of carbonization on the growth of 3C-SiC on Si (111) by silacyclobutane

Chemical vapor deposition of SiC on Si (111) from silacyclobutane (c-C3H6SiH2, SCB) has been carried out on propane carbonized and on virgin Si substrates. The carbonization was performed at 760 Torr and the SiC growth at 5 Torr. Transmission electron diffraction (TED) and x-ray diffraction were used to determine the crystallinity of the resulting films. The minimum temperature for obtaining crystalline films, as indicated by a TED pattern consisting of sharp spots with (111) SiC crystal hexagonal symmetry, was lower with carbonization (∼800–900 °C) than without (∼1000 °C). However, the carbonization process creates voids in the Si just below the SiC/Si interface, while SCB growth without carbonization produces a very smooth and void-free interface. Fourier-transform infrared measurements of SiC films grown at 1200 °C without carbonization exhibit a sharp (full width at half-maximum=30 cm−1) Si-C absorption peak at 794 cm−1.