Interfacial reactions and surface analysis of W thin film on 6H-SiC

Tungsten (W) thin film was deposited on bulk single crystalline 6H-SiC substrate and annealed in vacuum at temperatures ranging from 700 to 1000 °C for 1 h. The resulting solid-state reactions, phase composition and surface morphology were investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD was used to identify the phases present and to confirm the RBS results. The RBS spectra were simulated using the RUMP software in order to obtain the deposited layer thickness, composition of reaction zone and detect phase formation at the interface. RBS results showed that interaction between W and SiC started at 850 °C. The XRD analysis showed that WC and CW3 were the initial phases formed at 700 and 800 °C. The concentration of the phases was however, too low to be detected by RBS analysis. At temperatures of 900 and 1000 °C, W reacted with the SiC substrate and formed a mixed layer containing a silicide phase (WSi2) and a carbide phase (W2C). The SEM images of the as-deposited samples showed that the W thin film had a uniform surface with small grains. The W layer became heterogeneous during annealing at higher temperatures as the W granules agglomerated into island clusters at temperatures of 800 °C and higher.