Preparation of crystallographically aligned layers of silicon carbide by pulsed laser deposition of carbon onto Si wafers

It is demonstrated that SiC films can be deposited epitaxially on [001] and [111] Si wafers by excimer laser ablation of just a carbon target, in vacuum, at deposition temperatures as low as 1100 °C. Diffraction studies show that the SiC films have the same crystalline orientation as the substrates. The film growth on the Si substrate to thicknesses as large as 4000 Å with no significant excess carbon indicates that in addition to reaction of the carbon in the plume with Si of the substrate, there is transport of Si within the SiC film. For continued deposition beyond this thickness a carbon layer will form.