Properties of Single-Crystalline SiC Films Grown on Si by Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition at 750°C

Monocrystalline, epitaxial cubic (100) SiC films have been grown on (100) Si substrates at 750°C, the lowest temperature reported to date, by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition, using methylsilane, SiCH3H3, a single precursor with a Si:C ratio of 1:1, and H2. Hexagonal SiC films were obtained with the aid of a remote H2 plasma, which also increased the deposition rate through a reduction in the activation enthalpy. The films were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy, single- and double-crystal X-ray diffraction, infra-red absorption, ellipsometry, thickness measurements, four-point probe measurements, and other methods. Based on X-ray diffractometry, the crystalline quality of our β-SiC films is equivalent to that of commercial films of similar thickness. We describe the novel growth apparatus and the properties of the films.