Chemical short-range order in ion-beam-induced amorphous SiC: Irradiation temperature dependence

Chemical short-range order of ion-beam-induced amorphous SiC (a-SiC) has been examined by transmission electron microscopy in combination with imaging plate techniques. Single crystals of 6H-SiC were irradiated with 300 keV xenon ions to a fluence of 10(15) cm(-2) at cryogenic and elevated temperatures. Atomic pair-distribution functions showed that not only heteronuclear (Si-C) bonds but also homonuclear (Si-Si and C-C) bonds exist within the first coordination shell of a-SiC networks. It was found that chemical short-range order of a-SiC depends on the ion irradiation conditions: the amorphous networks became more chemically disorder with decreasing the irradiation temperature. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.