Polarity Effect on the Heteroepitaxial Growth of B_xC on 4H-SiC by CVD

Abstract:

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of boron carbide (B_xC) layers on 4H-SiC, 4°off substrates was studied. Depending on the polarity of the substrate, different results were obtained. On Si face, the direct CVD growth at 1600°C under a mixture of BCl₃+C₃H₈ systematically led to polycrystalline B_xC films, whatever the C/B ratio in the gas phase. On the C face, heteroepitaxial growth was obtained for C/B ratios = 12 or higher with a step bunched morphology. If a boridation step (10 min at 1200°C under BCl₃ flow) was used before the CVD growth, then heteroepitaxy was successful on both substrate polarities. To explain these results, a mechanism is proposed which involves the nature of the chemical bonds at the early stage of nucleation. It is suggested that a full B coverage of the SiC surface should favor the nucleation of the B-rich (0001) plane of B_xC, promoting thus the heteroepitaxial growth along this direction.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 362)
• Pages: 1-6
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-uFrJ54
• Online since: August 2024
• Authors: François Cauwet, Yamina Benamra, Laurent Auvray, Jérôme Andrieux, Gabriel Ferro*
• Keywords: 4H-SiC, Boron Carbide, CVD, Heteroepitaxy, Polarity

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