Silicon Carbide on Silicon (110): Surface Structure and Mechanisms of Epitaxial Growth

Results of investigations of the SiC/Si growth from monomethylsilane are reported. Growth conditions favoring the rotated epitaxy of 3C-SiC(111) films on Si(110) are determined experimentally. Surface energies of clean and hydrogen covered 3C-SiC(110) and 3C-SiC(111) surfaces are calculated with the density functional theory approach. It is shown that the change of the 3C-SiC film orientation with decreasing surface temperature and increasing monomethylsilane pressure may be induced by a reduction of the surface energy anisotropy due to the surface passivation by hydrogen.