CBr4 as precursor for VPE growth of cubic silicon carbide

This work presents a study of carbon tetrabromide (CBr4) as precursor to deposit 3C-SiC on (001) and (111) Si by VPE technique at temperatures ranging between 1000 degrees C and 1250 degrees C. TEM, AFM and SEM results indicate that the epitaxy proceeds as a 3D growth of uncoalesced islands at low temperature, whereas a continuous crystalline layer with hillocks on top is obtained above 1200 degrees C. The hillocks observed at high temperature appear well faceted and their shape and orientation are analyzed in detail by AFM, showing a {311} preferred orientation. 3D island growth was suppressed by adding C3H8 to the precursor gases. (C) 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim