Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Cubic Silicon Carbide Surfaces

Scanning tunneling microscopy is used to study β‐SiC(001) surfaces. The β‐SiC(001) single crystals were epitaxially grown by a two‐steep chemical vapor deposition process on Si(001) wafer substrates. The overall surface topography of β‐SiC is generally much rougher than that of Si wafers. Atomically resolved images corresponding to 3 × 2 and c (2 × 2) geometries of the β‐SiC(001) surface are presented. Our results agree with models constructed from Si dimers for these structures. The larger‐scale images show that the surface is under compressive stress and exhibits high density of defects, e.g., antiphase boundaries (APB's), in some areas. Images with unusual superstructures are also shown.