Structural investigations of silicon carbide films formed by fullerene carbonization of silicon

Silicon carbide films with a thickness of up to half a micron have been for med on silicon substrates by evaporating fullerene (C-60) molecules onto th e heated substrates (T greater than or equal to 800 degrees C). Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) shows the 1:1 stoichiometry of Si:C in al l cases. The phase composition and microstructure of the films have been in vestigated by X-ray pole figure measurements and by cross-sectional transmi ssion electron microscopy (XTEM). The pole figure measurements show that th e silicon carbide mainly consists of hexagonal phases with the hexagonal un it cell declined at about 17 degrees with respect to the surface. XTEM anal ysis confirms this observation, as columnar growth of hexagonal SiC platele ts with the platelets being declined with respect to the surface is seen. W ith this carbonization technique, silicon carbide films can be deposited at comparably low temperatures onto several materials, if prior to carbonizat ion a silicon film has been evaporated. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.