Preparation and characterization of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) SiC films

Si K-edge XAFS was used to characterize a stoichiometric SiC film prepared by pulsed KrF laser deposition. The film was deposited on a p-type Si(1 0 0) wafer at a substrate temperature of 250 °C in high vacuum with a laser fluence of ∼5 J/cm2. The results reveal that the film contains mainly a SiC phase with an amorphous structure in which the Si atoms are bonded to C atoms in its first shell similar to that of crystalline SiC powder but with significant disorder.