Epitaxial Growth of High Quality SiC of Pulsed Laser Deposition

SiC is an attractive material for high temperature, high frequency and high power electronic applications because of its wide band gap, high thermal conductivity, and high breakdown voltage. Two polytypes of SiC which have received the most attention are the 3C cubic structure and the 6H hexagonal structure due to their individual properties of higher electron mobility (1000 cm3/Vs) and larger band gap (2.9 eV), respectively. This proposal offers the development of a process for growing high quality (low defect density), epitaxial SiC films on 6H-SiC and Si substrates, using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). Preliminary research in our laboratory has demonstrated that epitaxial 3C-SiC thin films can be deposited on Si by PLD at substrate temperatures of 900-950 Degrees C using a novel surface precleaning method. By optimizing the process conditions, it should be possible to lower substrate temperature and grow device quality 3C-SiC films on Si. PLD should also be applicable to depositing high quality 3C- and 6H-SiC filmson 6H-SiC. Phase I research will demonstrate the deposition of high quality SiC films on 6H-SiC and Si substrates. Phase II will systematically improve size and quality of the films at commercially acceptable growth rates. OPTION TASK: None submitted