Process of energetic carbon atom deposition on Si (001) substrate by molecular dynamics simulation

The process of energetic C atom deposition on Si (001)-(2x1) is studied by the molecular dynamics method using the semi-empirical many-bond Tersoff potential. It is found that the incident energy of the carbon atom has an important effect on the collision process and its diffusion process on the substrate. Most of the incident energy of the carbon atom is transferred to the substrate atoms within the initial two vibration periods of substrate atoms and its value increases with the incident energy. The spreading distance and penetration depth of the incident atom increasing with the incident energy are also identified. The simulated results imply that an important effect of energy of incident carbon on the film growth at low substrate temperature provides activation energy for silicon carbide formation through the vibration enhancement of local substrate atoms. In addition, suppressing carbon atom inhomogeneous collection and dispensing with the silicon diffusion process may be effectively promoted by the spreading and penetration of the energetic carbon atom in the silicon substrate.