Low-temperature formation of an interfacial buffer layer using monomethylsilane for 3C-SiC/Si(100) heteroepitaxy

By using monomethylsilane (MMS:H3Si-CH3), we have formed a Si1-xCx interfacial buffer layer for 3C-SiC/Si(100) heteroepitaxy at substrate temperature T-f of as low as 450-650 degreesC, which is compared to the conventional carbonization temperature of 900 degreesC or higher. The buffer layer allows the subsequent growth of high-quality single-crystalline 3C-SiC films at 900 degreesC without formation of voids in the Si substrate at the interface. The grown 3C-SiC films degrade for T-f< 450 or > 650 degreesC. The low processing temperature as well as the suppressed Si outdiffusion can be related to the inclusion of both Si-H and Si-C bonds within the MMS molecule. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.