Binary collision approximation modeling of ion-induced damage effects in crystalline 6H-SiC

Disorder accumulation in ion implanted 6H-SiC and the associated surface swelling are simulated with a Monte Carlo binary collision code. The parameters of the models used in the program are adjusted through the comparison with previously reported data obtained from 0.5 MeV Al+ implantation at room temperature. The evolution of damage profiles, as determined with the Rutherford Backscattering-Channeling technique, can be described by the linear cascade approximation, provided that apparent atomic displacement energies much smaller than commonly referred values are used. This observation indicates that, in spite of the reported high individual displacement threshold energies, SIC is very sensitive to collective disordering effects induced by ion irradiation. Swelling can be modeled assuming a linear dependence of surface shift on the integral of damage in the disordered crystal, plus a contribution of the relaxation which occurs at the onset of crystal-to-amorphous transition. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.