EPITAXIAL SILICON CARBIDE GROWTH BY PLASMA ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION

CUBIC SILICON CARBIDE (SIC) HAS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR USE IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS, SUCH AS THE HIGH RADIATION LEVELS FOUND IN SUPERCONDUCTING SUPER COLLIDER CALORIMETERS. THE MAJOR LIMITATION TO THE USE OF SILICON CARBIDE IS THE DIFFICULTY IN GROWING LARGE AREA, HIGH QUALITY CRYSTALS. THIS RESEARCH EXAMINES THE EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF SILICON CARBIDE ON SILICON WAFER SUBSTRATES, USING PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (PECVD). PECVD HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF MUCH LOWER SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURES THAN THERMAL CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION PROCESSES, IN WHICH THE TEMPERATURE IS TYPICALLY 1,350 DEGREES CENTIGRADE FOR SIC GROWTH. EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF SILICON AT TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 250 DEGREES CENTIGRADE HAS BEEN ACHIEVED WITH PECVD; SIMILAR TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR SIC. SUCH A LOW TEMPERATURE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE CRYSTAL DEFECTS DUE TO THERMAL EXPANSION MISMATCH BETWEEN THE SUBSTRATE AND FILM. IN PHASE I, UNDOPED SILICON CARBIDE FILMS ARE BEING GROWN FOR BASIC STRUCTURAL AND ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENTS.