Electronic structures of β-SiC containing point defects studied by DV-Xα method

The DV-Xα method was used to calculate the bond order between atoms in cubic silicon carbide (β-SiC) with a point defect. Three types of β-SiC cluster models were used: pure cluster, vacancy cluster and interstitial cluster. The bond order was influenced by the kind of defects. The bonds between C interstitial and neighboring C atoms were composed of anti-bonding type interactions, while the bonds between Si interstitial and neighboring C and Si atoms were composed of bonding type interactions. The overlap population of each molecular orbital was examined to obtain detailed information of the chemical bonding. It appeared more difficult to recombine interstitial atoms in a cluster with a C atom vacancy than in a cluster with a Si atom vacancy, due to the stronger Si–Si bonds surrounding the C atom vacancy. The C interstitial atom had C2s and C2p anti-bonding interactions with high energy levels. The Si interstitial had minimal anti-bonding interactions.