Photoemission study of beta-SiC growth by a polyimide Langmuir-Blodgett film on silicon

Using photoelectron spectroscopies we studied the growth process of SiC on n-Si(lll) by polyimide Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film. The polyimide pyrolyzes when heated, and leaves a skeleton of carbon atoms on the film surface, wh ich remains the structure of LB films before pyrolysis. At about 800 degree s C, if the polyimide LB film is thin, the substrate Si will outdiffuse qui ckly and form a Si layer on top of the film At 1000 degrees C, the Si from Si-O reacts with carbon from pyrolysis to form SiC. From the results we sug gest that the LB film thickness is an important factor in the growth of goo d quality single crystalline SIC films. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.