Characterization of crystallinity of SiC surface layers produced by ion implantation

Carbon implantations into silicon were carried out in order to term thin su rface layers of SIC. Single crystalline (100) silicon samples were implante d with 40 keV C-13 ions with a fluence of 3.8 x 10(17) ions/cm(2) and subse quently thermally treated under high vacuum conditions at different tempera tures using a 20 keV electron beam. The isotope C-13 offers the advantage t o measure the carbon redistribution caused by the thermal treatment process with the nuclear resonance reaction analysis. The crystallinity of SIC sur face layers is studied by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron micro scopy measurements. A polycrystalline 3C-SiC surface layer with a low conte nt of 6H-SiC grains is formed with a thickness of about 70 nm. The analysis of high resolution TEM micrographs from the interface region obviously sho ws that the 6H-SiC phase coexists with the 3C-SiC modification in the SiC l ayer.