Growth of a 3C-SiC layer by carburization of silicon nanopillars

•Growth of stress-free 3C-SiC layer by carburization.•Carburization of silicon nanopillars.•Discussion of Si outdiffusion through the SiC layer.

An original process to grow cm-squared stress-free 3C-SiC layer is described here. Based on the carburization of silicon nanopillars at relatively low temperature (1150 °C) with methane, the process uses the outdiffusion mechanism of silicon atoms through silicon carbide. After the growth at high pressure of a very thin silicon carbide layer (3 nm), the pressure is decreased to enhance the outdiffusion of silicon through the SiC layer, and thus grow a stress free, 450 nm-thick SiC layer on top of silicon nanopillars. The crystalline quality of the as-grown 3C-SiC layer is good (FWHM of 3C-SiC TO-mode=10 cm−1), despite the presence of stacking faults. This original process could be used to grow by epitaxy a free-standing 3C-SiC layer of high crystalline quality.