Effect of annealing on SiC thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Crystalline cubic SiC thin films were successfully fabricated on Si(100) substrates by using laser deposition combined with a vacuum annealing process. The effect of annealing conditions on the structure of the thin films was investigated by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that amorphous SiC films deposited at 800°C could be transformed into crystalline phase after being annealed in a vacuum and that the annealing temperature played an important role in this transformation, with an optimum annealing temperature of 980°C. Results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the approximate stoichiometry of the SiC films. The characteristic microstructure displayed in a scanning electron microscope image of the films was indicative of epitaxial growth along the (100) plane.