Epitaxial Deposition of 3C-SiC on Si Using Unconventional Sputtering of a Hollow Cathode
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Epitaxial Deposition of 3C-SiC on Si Using Unconventional Sputtering of a Hollow Cathode J. L. Huguenin-Love, R. J. Soukup, N. J. Ianno, and N. T. Lauer University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0511 ABSTRACT Epitaxial 3C-SiC was grown using an unconventional technique for epitaxial growth. Thin films of 3C-SiC were deposited onto the (111) and (110) faces of Si using pulsed DC sputtering of a high purity, hollow cathode SiC target. The films were studied using x-ray diffraction (XRD), reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and auger electron spectroscopy (AES) techniques. XRD results presented as Bragg diffraction spectra and pole figures, and electron diffraction patterns verify crystal orientation and epitaxy. In addition, AES profiles identify the compositional integrity of the deposited films. INTRODUCTION Like other SiC polytypes, 3C-SiC is considered a suitable candidate for high-power, highfrequency devices due to its wide bandgap, high breakdown field, and high electron mobility [1, 2]. However, unlike other polytypes, high quality 3C-SiC can be grown on abundantly plentiful, inexpensive Si substrates at lower temperatures than other polytypes [3]. Further advancements and lowered costs of 3C-SiC growth will make it commercially attractive and lead to new scientific uses such as epitaxial graphene synthesis [4]. Although 3C-SiC has been grown onto the (100) face of Si [5] and (111) face of Si [6], Nishiguichi et al. [7] calculated a higher density of aligned Si atoms to Si-C pairs when growing (111) 3C-SiC on (110) Si than either (111) Si or (100) Si, thus suggesting a way to suppress the strain and stacking fault problems associated with the 20% lattice mismatch. The SiC growth documented here has been studied using both (110) Si and (111) Si orientated substrates. The deposition of SiC is most often carried out using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques and, although little research has been explored with respect to hollow cathode sputtering of SiC, it offers an advantage to incorporating other elements into the SiC lattice structure that thermodynamically have limited or no solubility. Hollow cathode sputtered epitaxial growth of SiC offers a path through which other elements, specifically Ge, can substitutionally enter the lattice and alter the bandgap, ultimately acting as a heterojunction device partner for SiC. The hollow cathode sputtering technique studied here has shown prior evidence suggesting that C has incorporated itself into the Ge structure [8].
EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS Hollow cathode sputtering of other semiconductors in this laboratory has been discussed previously [9-11] and the ultra-high vacuum system used to carry out the experiments has been described in detail elsewhere [11]. The photographs in Fig. 1 exhibit the glow discharge pattern when the SiC is being actively sputtered. Fig. 1b shows how the pattern is diverted around the rotating substrate holder, when compared to Fig. 1a, while applying a magnet
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