Structure of the interface between ultrathin SiO{sub 2} films and 4H-SiC(0001)
- Experimentelle Physik 1, Universitaet Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 4, 44221 Dortmund (Germany)
The interface between ultrathin SiO{sub 2} films and 4H-SiC(0001) has been studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoelectron diffraction. The investigation was performed for two different films. An ordered silicate layer showed a clear ({radical}(3)x{radical}(3))R30 deg. reconstruction, whereas a second film showed no long-range order. The comparison of the photoelectron diffraction data from these two films reveals that the local atomic environments of the Si atoms at the interface are very similar in both films. Further, a comparison of the experimental data with simulation calculations within a comprehensive R-factor analysis shows that also the local environments around near-interface Si atoms inside the SiO{sub 2} film are similar, but some modifications to the model are necessary. The use of the cluster radius as a fitting parameter in the simulation allowed to estimate the size of locally ordered regions in the film without long-range order to be about 4.5 to 5.0 A ring . It turns out that the transition from SiC to SiO{sub 2} is abrupt and therefore the occurrence of defects in the SiO{sub 2} film near the interface is probable. These defects may be oxygen vacancies, oxygen dangling bonds or silicon interstitials.
- OSTI ID:
- 20853343
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 74, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.74.035309; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ATOMS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CRYSTALS
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
INTERFACES
INTERSTITIALS
LAYERS
OXYGEN
R FACTORS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICATES
SILICON
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON OXIDES
SIMULATION
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
VACANCIES
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY