Abstract
Growth of single-phase SiCAlN epitaxial films with the 2H-wurtzite structure is conducted directly on Si(111) despite the structural differences and large lattice mismatch (19%) between the two materials. Commensurate heteroepitaxy is facilitated by the conversion of native and thermally grown SiO2 layers on Si(111) into crystalline oxides by in situ reactions of the layers with Al atoms and the H3SiCN precursor, forming coherent interfaces with the Si substrate and the film. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy show that the amorphous SiO2 films are entirely transformed into a crystalline Si-Al-O-N framework in registry with the Si(111) surface. This crystalline interface acts as a template for nucleation and growth of epitaxial SiCAlN. Integration of wide-band-gap semiconductors with Si is readily achieved by this process.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 2181-2183 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
Volume | 81 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 16 2002 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)