Epitaxy of nanocrystalline Silicon Carbide on Si(111) at Room Temperature

Silicon carbide (SiC) has unique chemical, physical and mechanical properties. A factor strongly limiting SiC based technologies is the high temperatures synthesis. In this work we provide unprece-dented experimental and theoretical evidence of 3C-SiC epitaxy on Silicon at room temperature by using a buckminsterfullerene (C60) supersonic beam. Chemical processes, such as C60 rupture, are activated at 30-35 eV precursor kinetic energy, far from thermodynamic equilibrium. This result paves the way to SiC synthesis on polymers or plastics, not withstanding high-temperature.