Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry monitoring of the SiC growth during the interaction process of elemental carbon with Si surfaces

We studied the interaction of elemental carbon with Si(111) and Si(100) sur faces with in situ real time spectroscopic ellipsometry at different C expo sures ranging from 7 x 10(12)-7 x 10(14) cm(-2) s(-1) at 750 degrees C unde r UHV conditions in a molecular beam epitaxy equipment. The optical investi gations were accompanied by real time RHEED studies. Using an optical three layer model (surface roughness, SiC layer, interface) on Si substrate the ellipsometric response allowed us to determine and quantify the different s tages of the process: the nucleation, the coalescence, the growth kinetics, and the surface and interface evolution. The SiC film growth depends on C exposure and weakly on substrate orientation. The results obtained were com pared to the RHEED observations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.