Designing the Si(100) conversion into SiC(100) by Ge

The deposition of Germanium (Ge) prior to the conversion of Si(100) into 3C-SiC(100) results in changes of the structure and surface morphology of the formed silicon carbide layer. First of all it reduces the thickness of the 3C-SiC layer grown during the conversion process and therefore the probability of voids formation. Secondly, it increases the nucleation density of the formed 3C-SiC nuclei and therefore, decreases the grain size at Ge coverages below two monolayers. These affect the roughness of the SiC surface positively by modifying the width of the SiC-Si interface. If the Ge coverages exceed two monolayers the structural and morphological properties begin to degrade. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)