Annealing and recrystallization of amorphous silicon carbide produced by ion implantation

The annealing behavior of amorphous SiC layers produced by MeV Si-implantation into 6H–SiC has been investigated systematically by means of step height measurements and X-ray diffraction analysis. Two annealing stages are found. Each of them causes a specific densification of the amorphous layer. At temperatures below 700°C defect annealing processes are responsible for densification. Amorphous states with continuously varying densities can be produced in this first stage of annealing. Annealing at temperatures above 700°C is characterized by a combination of defect annealing and recrystallization. It is shown that the crystallization mode changes with increasing temperature from nucleated growth at 800°C to epitaxial regrowth at 1000°C.