1
|
Colston G, Turner K, Renz A, Perera K, Gammon PM, Antoniou M, Shah VA. Three-Dimensional Epitaxy of Low-Defect 3C-SiC on a Geometrically Modified Silicon Substrate. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:1587. [PMID: 38612100 PMCID: PMC11012246 DOI: 10.3390/ma17071587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
We demonstrate the growth of 3C-SiC with reduced planar defects on a micro-scale compliant substrate. Heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on trenches with a width and separation of 2 µm, etched into a Si(001) substrate, is found to suppress defect propagation through the epilayer. Stacking faults and other planar defects are channeled away from the center of the patterned structures, which are rounded through the use of H2 annealing at 1100 °C. Void formation between the columns of 3C-SiC growth acts as a termination point for defects, and coalescence of these columns into a continuous epilayer is promoted through the addition of HCl in the growth phase. The process of fabricating these compliant substrates utilizes standard processing techniques found within the semiconductor industry and is independent of the substrate orientation and offcut.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Vishal A. Shah
- School of Engineering, The University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK; (G.C.); (K.T.); (A.R.); (K.P.); (P.M.G.); (M.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ou H, Shi X, Lu Y, Kollmuss M, Steiner J, Tabouret V, Syväjärvi M, Wellmann P, Chaussende D. Novel Photonic Applications of Silicon Carbide. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:1014. [PMID: 36770020 PMCID: PMC9919445 DOI: 10.3390/ma16031014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Silicon carbide (SiC) is emerging rapidly in novel photonic applications thanks to its unique photonic properties facilitated by the advances of nanotechnologies such as nanofabrication and nanofilm transfer. This review paper will start with the introduction of exceptional optical properties of silicon carbide. Then, a key structure, i.e., silicon carbide on insulator stack (SiCOI), is discussed which lays solid fundament for tight light confinement and strong light-SiC interaction in high quality factor and low volume optical cavities. As examples, microring resonator, microdisk and photonic crystal cavities are summarized in terms of quality (Q) factor, volume and polytypes. A main challenge for SiC photonic application is complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility and low-loss material growth. The state-of-the-art SiC with different polytypes and growth methods are reviewed and a roadmap for the loss reduction is predicted for photonic applications. Combining the fact that SiC possesses many different color centers with the SiCOI platform, SiC is also deemed to be a very competitive platform for future quantum photonic integrated circuit applications. Its perspectives and potential impacts are included at the end of this review paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Ou
- Department of Electrical and Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 343, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Xiaodong Shi
- Department of Electrical and Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 343, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yaoqin Lu
- Department of Electrical and Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 343, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Manuel Kollmuss
- Crystal Growth Lab, Materials Department 6 (I-Meet), FAU Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstr. 7, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Steiner
- Crystal Growth Lab, Materials Department 6 (I-Meet), FAU Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstr. 7, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vincent Tabouret
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, SIMaP, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Peter Wellmann
- Crystal Growth Lab, Materials Department 6 (I-Meet), FAU Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstr. 7, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Didier Chaussende
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, SIMaP, 38000 Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Calabretta C, Scuderi V, Bongiorno C, Cannizzaro A, Anzalone R, Calcagno L, Mauceri M, Crippa D, Boninelli S, La Via F. Impact of Nitrogen on the Selective Closure of Stacking Faults in 3C-SiC. CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN 2022; 22:4996-5003. [PMID: 35942119 PMCID: PMC9354508 DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.2c00515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the promising properties, the problem of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) heteroepitaxy on silicon has not yet been resolved and its use in microelectronics is limited by the presence of extensive defects. In this paper, we used microphotoluminescence (μ-PL), molten KOH etching, and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HRSTEM) to investigate the effect of nitrogen doping on the distribution of stacking faults (SFs) and assess how increasing dosages of nitrogen during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth inhibits the development of SFs. An innovative angle-resolved SEM observation approach of molten KOH-etched samples resulted in detailed statistics on the density of the different types of defects as a function of the growth thickness of 3C-SiC free-standing samples with varied levels of nitrogen doping. Moreover, we proceeded to shed light on defects revealed by a diamond-shaped pit. In the past, they were conventionally associated with dislocations (Ds) due to what happens in 4H-SiC, where the formation of pits is always linked with the presence of Ds. In this work, the supposed Ds were observed at high magnification (by HRSTEM), demonstrating that principally they are partial dislocations (PDs) that delimit an SF, whose development and propagation are suppressed by the presence of nitrogen. These results were compared with VESTA simulations, which allowed to simulate the 3C-SiC lattice to design two 3C-lattice domains delimited by different types of SFs. In addition, through previous experimental evidence, a preferential impact of nitrogen on the closure of 6H-like SFs was observed as compared to 4H-like SFs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ruggero Anzalone
- STMicroelectronics, Stradale Primosole, 50, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Lucia Calcagno
- Dipartimento
di Fisica e Astronomia, Università
di Catania, Via S. Sofia
64, I-95123 Catania, Italy
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Via FL, Zimbone M, Bongiorno C, La Magna A, Fisicaro G, Deretzis I, Scuderi V, Calabretta C, Giannazzo F, Zielinski M, Anzalone R, Mauceri M, Crippa D, Scalise E, Marzegalli A, Sarikov A, Miglio L, Jokubavicius V, Syväjärvi M, Yakimova R, Schuh P, Schöler M, Kollmuss M, Wellmann P. New Approaches and Understandings in the Growth of Cubic Silicon Carbide. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14185348. [PMID: 34576572 PMCID: PMC8465050 DOI: 10.3390/ma14185348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In this review paper, several new approaches about the 3C-SiC growth are been presented. In fact, despite the long research activity on 3C-SiC, no devices with good electrical characteristics have been obtained due to the high defect density and high level of stress. To overcome these problems, two different approaches have been used in the last years. From one side, several compliance substrates have been used to try to reduce both the defects and stress, while from another side, the first bulk growth has been performed to try to improve the quality of this material with respect to the heteroepitaxial one. From all these studies, a new understanding of the material defects has been obtained, as well as regarding all the interactions between defects and several growth parameters. This new knowledge will be the basis to solve the main issue of the 3C-SiC growth and reach the goal to obtain a material with low defects and low stress that would allow for realizing devices with extremely interesting characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco La Via
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
- Correspondence: (F.L.V.); (P.W.)
| | - Massimo Zimbone
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
| | - Corrado Bongiorno
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
| | - Antonino La Magna
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
| | - Giuseppe Fisicaro
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
| | - Ioannis Deretzis
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
| | - Viviana Scuderi
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
| | - Cristiano Calabretta
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
| | - Filippo Giannazzo
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronice e Microsistemi, Strada VIII 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.Z.); (C.B.); (A.L.M.); (G.F.); (I.D.); (V.S.); (C.C.); (F.G.)
| | - Marcin Zielinski
- NOVASIC, Savoie Technolac—Arche Bat.4, Allée du Lac d’Aiguebelette, BP 267, 73375 Le Bourget du Lac CEDEX, France;
| | - Ruggero Anzalone
- STMicroelectronics, Stradale Primosole 50, 95121 Catania, Italy;
| | - Marco Mauceri
- LPE, Strada XVI, Pantano d’Arci, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Danilo Crippa
- LPE, Strada XVI, Pantano d’Arci, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Emilio Scalise
- L-NESS and Department of Materials Science, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (E.S.); (A.S.); (L.M.)
| | - Anna Marzegalli
- L-NESS and Department of Physics, Politecnico di Milano, via Anzani 42, 22100 Como, Italy;
| | - Andrey Sarikov
- L-NESS and Department of Materials Science, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (E.S.); (A.S.); (L.M.)
| | - Leo Miglio
- L-NESS and Department of Materials Science, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (E.S.); (A.S.); (L.M.)
| | - Valdas Jokubavicius
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; (V.J.); (M.S.); (R.Y.)
| | - Mikael Syväjärvi
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; (V.J.); (M.S.); (R.Y.)
| | - Rositsa Yakimova
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; (V.J.); (M.S.); (R.Y.)
| | - Philipp Schuh
- Crystal Growth Lab, Materials Department 6 (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany; (P.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Michael Schöler
- Crystal Growth Lab, Materials Department 6 (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany; (P.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Manuel Kollmuss
- Crystal Growth Lab, Materials Department 6 (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany; (P.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Peter Wellmann
- Crystal Growth Lab, Materials Department 6 (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany; (P.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.)
- Correspondence: (F.L.V.); (P.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
3C-SiC Growth on Inverted Silicon Pyramids Patterned Substrate. MATERIALS 2019; 12:ma12203407. [PMID: 31635213 PMCID: PMC6829442 DOI: 10.3390/ma12203407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This work reports on the properties of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) grown epitaxially on a patterned silicon substrate composed of squared inverted silicon pyramids (ISP). This compliant substrate prevents stacking faults, usually found at the SiC/Si interface, from reaching the surface. We investigated the effect of the size of the inverted pyramid on the epilayer quality. We noted that anti-phase boundaries (APBs) develop between adjacent faces of the pyramid and that the SiC/Si interfaces have the same polarity on both pyramid faces. The structure of the heterointerface was investigated. Moreover, due to the emergence of APB at the vertex of the pyramid, voids buried on the epilayer form. We demonstrated that careful control of the growth parameters allows modification of the height of the void and the density of APBs, improving SiC epitaxy quality.
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhuang H, Yang N, Zhang L, Fuchs R, Jiang X. Electrochemical properties and applications of nanocrystalline, microcrystalline, and epitaxial cubic silicon carbide films. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:10886-10895. [PMID: 25939808 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b02024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Microstructures of the materials (e.g., crystallinitiy, defects, and composition, etc.) determine their properties, which eventually lead to their diverse applications. In this contribution, the properties, especially the electrochemical properties, of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) films have been engineered by controlling their microstructures. By manipulating the deposition conditions, nanocrystalline, microcrystalline and epitaxial (001) 3C-SiC films are obtained with varied properties. The epitaxial 3C-SiC film presents the lowest double-layer capacitance and the highest reversibility of redox probes, because of its perfect (001) orientation and high phase purity. The highest double-layer capacitance and the lowest reversibility of redox probes have been realized on the nanocrystalline 3C-SiC film. Those are ascribed to its high amount of grain boundaries, amorphous phases and large diversity in its crystal size. Based on their diverse properties, the electrochemical performances of 3C-SiC films are evaluated in two kinds of potential applications, namely an electrochemical capacitor using a nanocrystalline film and an electrochemical dopamine sensor using the epitaxial 3C-SiC film. The nanocrystalline 3C-SiC film shows not only a high double layer capacitance (43-70 μF/cm(2)) but also a long-term stability of its capacitance. The epitaxial 3C-SiC film shows a low detection limit toward dopamine, which is one to 2 orders of magnitude lower than its normal concentration in tissue. Therefore, 3C-SiC film is a novel but designable material for different emerging electrochemical applications such as energy storage, biomedical/chemical sensors, environmental pollutant detectors, and so on.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhuang
- Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Strasse 9-11, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| | - Nianjun Yang
- Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Strasse 9-11, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| | - Lei Zhang
- Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Strasse 9-11, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| | - Regina Fuchs
- Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Strasse 9-11, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| | - Xin Jiang
- Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Strasse 9-11, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhuang H, Zhang L, Fuchs R, Staedler T, Jiang X. When epitaxy meets plasma: a path to ordered nanosheets arrays. Sci Rep 2013; 3:2427. [PMID: 23939624 PMCID: PMC3741627 DOI: 10.1038/srep02427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The possibility of a controlled assembly of 2-dimensional (2D) nanosheets (NSs) into ordered arrays or even more sophisticated structures offers tremendous opportunities in the context of fabrication of a variety of NSs based devices. Reports of such ordered NSs are rare and all conventional "top-down" methods typically led to coarse structures exhibiting only limited surface quality. In this work, we demonstrate a path to directly synthesis ordered NSs arrays in a plasma activated chemical vapor deposition technique utilizing planar defects formed during hetero-epitaxial growth of crystals featuring a close-packed lattice. As an example, the synthesis of 3C-SiC NSs arrays with well-defined orientation on (001) and (111) Si substrates is shown. A detailed analysis identifies planar defects and the plasma environment as key factors determining the resulting 2D NSs arrays. Consequently, a "planar defects induced selective growth" effect is proposed to elucidate the corresponding growth mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhuang
- Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Strasse 9-11, Siegen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Boulle A, Dompoint D, Galben-Sandulache I, Chaussende D. Quantitative analysis of diffuse X-ray scattering in partially transformed 3C-SiC single crystals. J Appl Crystallogr 2010. [DOI: 10.1107/s0021889810019412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The X-ray scattering of partially transformed 3C-SiC single crystals is considered in detail. Extended diffuse scattering streaks, originating from stacking faults (SFs) lying in the {111} planes, are clearly observed in the wide-range reciprocal-space maps. The intensity distribution along the diffuse streaks is simulated with a model including the contributions of the diffuse scattering originating from the SFs [based on the pioneering theoretical description given by Kabra, Pandey & Lele (1986).J. Mater. Sci.21, 1654–1666], the coherent scattering emanating from untransformed areas of the crystals and all θ-dependent terms that affect the scattered intensity (the layer structure factor, the irradiated volume and the polarization of the beam). The quantitative simulation of the diffuse streaks reveals that the transformation occurs through the glide of partial dislocations and allows one to derive the transformation level. It is shown that the 3C polytype is indeed unstable at high temperature. However, it is further shown that defect-free 3C-SiC single crystals remain stable at temperatures where 3C-SiC is known to be usually unstable (2173 K). The origin of this apparent stability is very likely of kinetic nature,i.e.the lack of crystalline defects inhibits the transformation.
Collapse
|