Low-temperature epitaxial growth of the quaternary wide band gap semiconductor SiCAlN.
Two compounds SiC and AlN, normally insoluble in each other below approximately 2000 degrees C, are synthesized as a single-phase solid-solution thin film by molecular beam epitaxy at 750 degrees C. The growth of epitaxial SiCAlN films with hexagonal structure takes place on 6H-SiC(0001) substrates. Two structural models for the hexagonal SiCAlN films are constructed based on first-principles total-energy density functional theory calculations, each showing agreement with the experimental microstructures observed in cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images. The predicted fundamental band gap is 3.2 eV for the stoichiometric SiCAlN film.
Roucka
R
R
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.
Tolle
J
J
Chizmeshya
A V G
AV
Crozier
P A
PA
Poweleit
C D
CD
Smith
D J
DJ
Tsong
I S T
IS
Kouvetakis
J
J