ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF BETA-SIC(001) SURFACE PHASES STUDIED BY MEDIUM ENERGY ION-SCATTERING

β-SiC surfaces have been investigated in terms of surface composition and reconstruction by medium energy ion scattering (MEIS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). A (3 × 2) phase is produced by evaporating Si on a β-SiC surface. Heat treatment at 1065°C causes consecutive transformation into (5 × 2), c(4 × 2), (2 × 1), (1 × 1) and c(2 × 2) phases. Quantitative analysis of MEIS spectra shows that the c(4 × 2) surface has a full silicon topmost layer, whereas the c(2 × 2) surface has a full carbon topmost layer. The (3 × 2) and (5 × 2) phases are believed to originate from additional Si dimer rows on top of a Si terminated crystal. © 1990.