Elaboration of (1 1 1) oriented 3C–SiC/Si layers for template application in nitride epitaxy

Various aspects of the elaboration of (1 1 1) oriented 3C–SiC films on silicon are discussed within a comparative study of different layer characteristics for (1 1 1) and (1 0 0) orientations. The dissimilarities between both orientations are pointed out. This includes the growth mode during the nucleation, the efficacy of defect healing during the growth, the dopant incorporation and the warping of the epiwafer. The results of 3C–SiC surface preparation by chemical mechanical polishing are also demonstrated. All the characteristics of (1 1 1) oriented layers are discussed from the point of view of the application of 3C–SiC/Si epiwafers as templates for nitride growth. The characteristics of AlGaN/GaN based high electron mobility transistor elaborated on 3C–SiC/Si template are presented to validate the templateʹs concept.