Comparison of thermal oxidation and plasma oxidation of 4H-SiC (0001) for surface flattening

Journal Article · Mon Mar 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4868487· OSTI ID:22257035

Deng, Hui; Endo, Katsuyoshi; Yamamura, Kazuya ^[1]

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1. Research Center for Ultra-precision Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)

The thermal oxidation and water vapor plasma oxidation of 4H-SiC (0001) were investigated. The initial oxidation rate of helium-based atmospheric-pressure plasma oxidation was six times higher than that of thermal oxidation. The oxide-SiC interface generated by plasma oxidation became flatter with increasing thickness of the oxide, whereas the interface generated by thermal oxidation was atomically flat regardless of the oxide thickness. Many pits were generated on the thermally oxidized surface, whereas few pits were observed on the surface oxidized by plasma. After the oxide layer generated plasma oxidation was removed, an atomically flat and pit-free SiC surface was obtained.

• OSTI ID: 22257035
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
HELIUM
HYDROGEN 4
OXIDATION
PLASMA
SILICON CARBIDES
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACES