Oxidation and 6H-SiC–SiO2 interfaces

1 May 1995

journal article
Published by American Vacuum Society in Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A

Vol. 13 (3) , 767-771
https://doi.org/10.1116/1.579824

Abstract

For hexagonal SiC the oxidation is slower for the Si‐terminated surface as compared to the C‐terminated surface. This has been related to an unknown interface compound. Our angle resolved x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic (ARXPS) analysis of oxidized Si‐(001) and C‐(001̄) surfaces of 6H‐SiC reveals the interface oxide Si4C4−x O2 (x≤2), seemingly a reaction product of a peroxidic O2 bond to a SiC double layer. This oxide occurs in larger thickness (≂1 nm) at the slowly oxidizing Si‐(001) surface, whereas the C‐(001̄) surface shows smaller amounts, only, diminishing fast with oxidation above 1000 K. Evidence is presented that the oxidation of SiC to SiO2 is retarded by a Si4C4−x O2interface layer. Our ARXPS analysis is consistent with amorphous SiO2 containing less than 3% Si4C4O4 as oxidation product of Si4C4−x O2.

Keywords

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: