Synthesis of nanostructured SiC films during pulsed photon treatment of Si in a carbon-containing atmosphere

Abstract

The phase composition, orientation, substructure, and morphology of the films formed during pulsed photon treatment of a single-crystal Si surface by xenon lamp irradiation (λ = 0.2–1.2 µm) and polycrystalline Si films on SiO₂-Si in a gaseous atmosphere (C₃H₈)_0.2(C₄H₁₀)_0.8 are investigated using the methods of transmission electron microscopy, high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and IR-spectroscopy. The irradiation time (the duration of the pulse packet) varied from 1.5 to 2.0 s, which corresponded to variations in the incident’s irradiation energy (E _p ) from 215 to 285 J · cm⁻². The threshold value of E _p was determined. The films of SiC and Si are characterized by a nanocrystalline substructure and biaxial texture, corresponding to different deviations of grains from parallel epitaxial orientation. The portion of epitaxially oriented grains rising to the film surface is increasing with an increase in E _p and the film thickness. Under the conditions necessary for the formation of a eutectic melt in the near-surface zone, the crystallization yielding the formation of a uniaxial texture takes place. During the synthesis on doped poly-Si films the forming SiC film inherits the texture of the layered substructure of the initial Si’s film blocks.