PULSED-LASER DEPOSITION OF SILICON-CARBIDE AT ROOM-TEMPERATURE

The objective of this letter is to report on the successful deposition of SiC by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature. Deposition of SiC films is accomplished by ablating a 6H-SiC target, using the 248 n m radiation from a KrF excimer laser. X-ray photoelectron spectroscop y data conclusively show that the films are silicon carbide. The Si 2p peaks are observed from a film at 100.3 eV, from a 6H-SiC standard at 100.3 eV, and from a Si standard at 99.7 eV. Similar scans of the C 1 s peak reveal a shift in binding energy from 284.7 eV for a graphite s tandard, to 283.3 eV for a deposited film, and 283.4 eV for the SiC st andard. Further, the integrated areas and shapes of the peaks from the film and the SiC standard are equivalent. Transmission electron micro scopy reveals a film microstructure which is largely amorphous, but wh ich contains a significant volume fraction of SiC crystallites. Analys is of the electron diffraction patterns indicates that the crystallite s are beta-SiC. The relationship between the film microstructure and t he energy contained within the laser-generated plume is also considere d.