Low temperature growth of crystalline magnesium oxide on hexagonal silicon carbide (0001) by molecular beam epitaxy

Magnesium oxide (111) was grown epitaxially on hexagonal silicon carbide (6H-SiC) (0001) substrates at low temperatures by molecular beam epitaxy and a remote oxygen plasma source. The films were characterized by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Crystal structure, morphology, and growth rate of the magnesium oxide (MgO) films were found to be dependent on the magnesium flux, indicating a magnesium adsorption controlled growth mechanism. The single crystalline MgO thin films had an epitaxial relationship where MgO (111)‖6H-SiC (0001) and were stable in both air and 10−9Torr up to 1023K.