Graduation Year
2006
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.S.E.E.
Degree Granting Department
Electrical Engineering
Major Professor
Stephen E. Saddow, Ph.D.
Keywords
Silicon carbide, Heteroepitaxy, SOI, Crystal defects, Chemical vapor deposition
Abstract
The heteroepitaxial growth of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) on silicon (Si) substrates at high growth rates, via a horizontal hot-wall chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor, has been achieved. The final growth process was developed in three stages; an initial "baseline" development stage, an optimization stage, and a large area growth stage. In all cases the growth was conducted using a two step, carbonization plus growth, process. During carbonization, the surface of the Si is converted to 3C-SiC, which helps to minimize the stress in the growing crystal. Propane (C3H8) and silane (SiH4), diluted in hydrogen (H2), were used as the carbon and silicon source, respectively. A deposition rate of approximately 10 um/h was established during the baseline process. Once the baseline process proved to be repeatable, optimization of the process began. Through variations in temperature, pressure, and the Si/C ratio, thick 3C-SiC films (up to 22 um thick) and high deposition rates (up to 30 um/h) were obtained. The optimized process was then applied to growth on 50 mm diameter Si(100) wafers. The grown 3C-SiC films were analyzed using a variety of characterization techniques. The thickness of the films was assessed through Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and confirmed by cross-section scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM cross-sections were also used to investigate the 3C-SiC/Si interface. The surface morphology of the films was inspected via Nomarsky interference optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and SEM. The crystalline quality of the films was determined through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and low-temperature photoluminescence (LTPL) analysis. A mercury probe was used to make non-contact CV/IV measurements and determine the film doping.
Scholar Commons Citation
Harvey, Suzie, "Growth of 3C-SiC via a hot-wall CVD reactor" (2006). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/2552
