Epitaxial growth of cubic SiC thin films on silicon using single molecularprecursors by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Heteroepitaxial cubic Sic thin films have been deposited on silicon substra tes at temperatures in the range of 750-1000 degreesC using single molecula r precursors by the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Si ngle-crystalline, crack-free, stoichiometric cubic Sic films were successfu lly grown on both Si(OO I) and Si(I I I) substrates without surface carboni zation at as low as temperature of 920 degreesC with 1,3-disilabutane, H3Si -CH2-SiH2-CH3, as a liquid single source precursor which contains silicon a nd carbon in 1: 1 ratio. Cubic SiC thin films highly oriented in the [001] direction were also obtained on Si(001) using either a liquid mixture of 1, 3,5-trisilapentane (TSP), H3Si-CH-SiH2-CH-SiH3. and 2,4,6-trisilaheptane (T SH) at 980 degreesC or 2,6-dimethyl-2,4,6-trisilaheptane (DMTSH), H3C-SiH(C H3)-CH2-SiH2-CH2-SiH(CH3)-CH3 at 950 degreesC without carrier gas. These gr owth temperatures were much lower than conventional CVD growth temperatures , and this is a report of cubic Sic film growth using the single molecular precursors of trisilaalkanes (i.e., DMTSH and TSP+TSH). The as-grown Sic fi lms were characterized by in situ reflection high-energy electron diffracti on and by ex situ x-ray diffraction, transmission electron diffraction, sca nning electron microscopy. Auger electron spectroscopy, and Rutherford back scattering spectroscopy (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.