Epitaxial 3C-SiC nanocrystal formation at the SiO2/Si interface after carbon implantation and subsequent annealing in CO atmosphere

3C-SiC nanocrystallites were epitaxially formed on a single crystalline Si surface covered by a 150 nm thick SiO2 capping layer after low dose carbon implantation and subsequent high temperature annealing in CO atmosphere. Carbon implantation is used to introduce nucleation sites by forming silicon-carbon clusters at the SiO2/Si interface facilitating the growth of 3C-SiC nanocrystallites.