Epitaxial growth of void free beta-SiC on Si by the pyrolysis of tetramethylsilane

The effects of growth parameters and nitridation of a Si surface have been investigated for the epitaxial growth of void-free SiC films on a Si substrate. Void-free single crystalline SiC films were grown when the Si substrate was heated under the how of tetramethysilane (TMS), while voids were observed in the Si side of the SiC/Si interface at growth temperatures of above 1000 degrees C. The complete coverage of the Si surface with a SiC layer at the initial stage of the SiC growth was critical in suppressing the formation of the voids. On the other hand, the nitrided Si substrate accommodated the growth of the void-free SiC film with a smooth and flat film/substrate interface. The void formation was attributed to the out-diffusion of Si atoms from the Si substrate during the growth process. The mechanism of void formation will be briefly discussed in this work.