Improved 3C-SiC films epitaxially grown on Si by flash lamp processing

For the realization of good quality 3C-SiC films, epitaxially grown on Si, the perfection of the film during the early stage of growth is substantial. In this work the beneficial role of Flash Lamp Process (FLP) for defect elimination and strain reduction in the 3C-SiC films is discussed. FLP is a highly transient process with a flash duration of a few milliseconds (ms), preferentially occurring at the SiC/Si interface where the irradiated flux has its maximum absorption. If the energy density is sufficiently high, the temperature at the interface increases above the melting point of silicon. As a result, Si at the interface melts and subsequently dissolves the 3C-SiC in the vicinity of the interface, while the non-melted part of the film is annealed. During the re-solidification phase separation occurs and that part of the SiC film which is already dissolved into silicon is epitaxially deposited on the annealed uppermost part, which acts as the seed layer. The process resembles liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) resulting in substantial improvement of the SiC film. This process also eliminates the cavities and the stress at the 3C-SiC/Si interface. The irradiated 3C-SiC films were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy.