Structural heteroepitaxy during topochemical transformation of silicon to silicon carbide

Abstract

Silicon carbide samples synthesized from silicon by topochemical substitution of atoms are studied by the ion channeling method. The results of the analysis unambiguously demonstrate the occurrence of structural heteroepitaxy. The lattice of synthesized silicon carbide of hexagonal polytype 6H is epitaxially matched in the 〈0001〉 direction with the lattice grating grid array network of an initial substrate silicon in the 〈111〉 direction. The main features of structural self-coupling matching in this epitaxial heterocomposite are revealed. Despite the very large silicon carbide and silicon lattice parameter mismatch, the misfit dislocation density at the interface is low, which is a feature of the topochemical substitution method leading to comparable structures.