A cubic stacking sequence was found to develop, at the (00•1) surface, which was promoted by Si enrichment during formation of the reconstructed (v3 x v3)R30º phase on hexagonal material. The reconstruction was shown, via quantitative low-energy electron diffraction crystallography, to consist ultimately of Si adatoms in T4 sites. Before the evolution of the (v3 x v3)R30º phase, mesa-like structures with various atomic periodicities were observed by means of scanning tunnelling microscopy. Smoothing of this rough and Si-enriched state provided a basis for the formation of a modified stacking sequence.

Stacking Transformation from Hexagonal to Cubic SiC Induced by Surface Reconstruction: a Seed for Heterostructure Growth. U.Starke, J.Schardt, J.Bernhardt, M.Franke, K.Heinz: Physical Review Letters, 1999, 82[10], 2107-10