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

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) has unique chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. A factor strongly limiting SiC-based technologies is the high-temperature synthesis. In this work, we provide unprecedented experimental and theoretical evidence of 3C-SiC epitaxy on silicon at room temperature by using a buckminsterfullerene (C(60)) supersonic beam. Chemical processes, such as C(60) rupture, are activated at a precursor kinetic energy of 30-35 eV, far from thermodynamic equilibrium. This result paves the way for SiC synthesis on polymers or plastics that cannot withstand high temperatures.

Exceptionally Strong Phonon Scattering by B Substitution in Cubic SiC

“…In contrast, the structurally less complex cubic polytype of SiC with zinc-blende structure (3C-SiC) is much less well understood, despite presumably having the best electronic properties [13], and, as we will see, possibly a higher κ than the other polytypes. This is partly due to the difficulty in synthesizing high quality crystals, although recent improvements in 3C-SiC growth techniques have prompted a renewed interest in it [13].Surprisingly, the reference measurements of κ on pure undoped 3C-SiC are over 20 years old and little detail is known about the quality of the samples [10,14]. The reference value of κ for 3C phase is perplexingly lower than that for the structurally more complex 6H phase, raising doubts about whether this is truly an intrinsic property or just a consequence of the defective, polycrystalline quality of the 3C-SiC samples.…”

“…From the many stable polytypes of SiC [10], two of the hexagonal ones, 6H-SiC and 4H-SiC, have been extensively studied and widely used [10][11][12]. In contrast, the structurally less complex cubic polytype of SiC with zinc-blende structure (3C-SiC) is much less well understood, despite presumably having the best electronic properties [13], and, as we will see, possibly a higher κ than the other polytypes. This is partly due to the difficulty in synthesizing high quality crystals, although recent improvements in 3C-SiC growth techniques have prompted a renewed interest in it [13].…”

2D Material Armors Showing Superior Impact Strength of Few Layers

“…Notable exceptions have been reported in modeling analogous problems, in which intermediate kinetic energy regimes (around tens of eV) were used to achieve the epitaxial growth of silicon carbide [27][28][29] and graphene 30,31 via buckyball beams impacting on silicon or metallic substrates.…”

Physical Mechanisms of SiO$_{2}$ Target Sputtering with Accelerated Ions of C$_{60}$

“…Рост эпитаксиальных слоёв SiC x при низких температурах подложки стимулируется воз-никновением теплового «пика» с температурой в несколько тысяч градусов, возникающем в месте удара ускоренного иона C 60 [25]. Формирование эпитаксиального слоя карбида кремния на Si(111) поверхности при комнатной температуре наблюдалось Roberto Verucchi [26] при бомбардировке Si ионами С 60 с энергией 30-35 эВ, т.е. при энергиях на два порядка ниже, чем у нас.…”