Ion beam synthesis of SiC thin films

This report reviews irradiation effects of 2 MeV He⁺, Ne⁺, and Ar⁺ ions on the film structure of the carbon-film/Si-substrate system. Using ion irradiation, an epitaxial silicon carbide (SiC) film is grown at atmospheric temperature on a Si substrate. The SiC formation is achieved with appropriate thickness of the initial carbon film. Kinetic analyses of the ion dose dependence of the SiC formation reveal that the SiC film thickness evolution process includes three stages. The first is a steep increase of the SiC, which is governed by inelastic collision. The second is a gentle increase of the SiC, which is governed by diffusion. The last is a decrease of the SiC, which is caused by sputtering. The SiC formation mechanism is also discussed.