Low temperature oxidation of CVD SiC by electron cyclotron resonance plasma

The oxidation behavior in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma-enhanced oxygen plasma for Si- and C-faces of CVD SiC was studied at 398-873 K. In pure O-2 gas, the oxidation kinetics are parabolic and logarithmic for the C- and Si-faces, respectively. Monolithic amorphous SiO2 layers were formed on the Si-face, but mixtures of outer SiO2 and inner Si-C-O layers were observed on the C-face. In an Ar-O-2 gas mixture, there was no difference in oxidation behavior between Si- and C-faces. The oxidation kinetics were linear, and nano-meter size crystalline Si particles were found dispersed in the amorphous SiO2 layers. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.