Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is well known as a reliable, economical techn
ique for the growth of high-temperature superconducting oxide thin films. T
here are a number of interesting characteristics, however, that distinguish
this method from other thin film techniques. In particular, the vapor spec
ies are typically characterized by average energies far above those encount
ered in thermal evaporation and chemical vapor based approaches. As a resul
t, PLD may have the potential to realize films with a smoother morphology a
t low substrate temperatures if the surface species can retain some portion
of the initial kinetic energy after adsorption. In this paper, we examine
the PLD growth of SiC thin films on (100) silicon and (0001) sapphire subst
rates over a substrate temperature range of 250-900 degrees C. In-situ char
acterization using reflection high-energy electron diffraction indicates th
at films deposited on sapphire above 700 degrees C, using low laser fluence
, initially grow as single crystal material. X-Ray diffraction shows either
3C-SiC features or no features at all, independent of the type of substrat
e. Atomic force microscopy shows very smooth films, with an average surface
roughness of 3 Angstrom at a substrate temperature of 250 degrees C and 0.
7 Angstrom at 900 degrees C. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. Al
l rights reserved.