Growth of beta SiC on a ceramic SiC substrate using a thin silicon intermediate layer

A major issue in the heteroepitaxial growth of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) is the stress generated by the lattice and thermal mismatch of the substrate. The growth of beta SiC on ceramic (polycrystalline) SiC is reported here. This substrate is thermally matched to single crystal SiC and allows the SiC to be grown at a temperature of 1500–1600°C. Therefore, this substrate offers a significantly wider parameter space for optimization of cubic growth. In order to provide a crystalline template for growth, a novel wafer bonding scheme was used to produce ultra thin Si layers, which were wafer bonded to the ceramic substrate. Using this technology, single crystal Si layers less than 5 nm can be produced. It should be noted that the ceramic substrates are inexpensive and this technique is easily scaleable up to 8 in. in diameter. Using this material, the thin Si layer was carbonized and 3C-SiC grown at temperatures of 1350 and 1550°C.