Growth kinetics of stoichiometric SiC layers formed by high fluence carbon implantation into silicon using a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source

SiC layers were formed by implantation of C+ into silicon at 35 keV to fluence of 1 × 1018 cm−2. Thermal annealing was performed at 900 °C for various time intervals from 1 h to 8 h, and at various temperatures from 700 °C to 1200 °C for 2 h in nitrogen ambient. The phase transformation characteristics in these SiC layers were studied using FTIR spectroscopy and a de-convolution scheme of the IR spectra into amorphous SiC and β-SiC components. Further evolution of the relative amount of the various SiC phases upon annealing could be well described by classical nucleation and growth theory using a three-dimensional growth model. The overall enthalpy of the transformation was determined to be 0.18 eV/atom. A three-dimensional growth model was suggested according to the XPS experimental results of redistribution of the implanted carbon during annealing.