Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide band gap IV-IV compound semiconductor, especially suitable for advanced applications such as high temperature, high power, high frequency electronic devices/sensors and in nanotechnology. Furthermore, in addition to outstanding mechanical properties, SiC is also a biocompatible material and appears to be very promising for fuel rods in the next generation power nuclear reactors. These investigations are conducted using state-of-art experimental techniques including atom-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, synchrotron radiation-based core level and valence band photoemission, and infrared absorption spectroscopies. Such important issues as surface atomic control, self-organized nano-objects and an amazing nanochemistry at SiC surfaces will be addressed and discussed to recent ab-initio total energy calculations. Among some of the key results, the following ones will be presented:
• The 1st example of hydrogen-induced semiconductor surface metallization that amazingly takes place also on a pre-oxidized surface [1-3], with a significant isotopic effect occurring using deuterium [4]
• Metal atom pairs and chain self-organization with semiconducting to metallic transition [5]
• Ultra-thin nitride layer formation at Si-SiC interface [6]
These findings directly impact selective surface metallization/passivation, with means to develop electrical contacts on wide band-gap chemically passive materials, particularly exciting for interfacing with biological systems.
References:
1) V. Derycke, P. Soukiassian, F. Amy, Y.J. Chabal, M. D'angelo, H. Enriquez and M.G. Silly, Nature Mat. 2, 253 (2003)
2) M.G. Silly, C. Radtke, H. Enriquez, P. Soukiassian, S. Gardonio, P. Moras and P. Perfetti,
Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 4893 (2004)
3) P. Soukiassian, Appl. Phys. A 86, Special Issue on "Surface Physics", 421 (2006)
4) J. Roy, V.Yu. Aristov, C. Radtke, P. Jaffrennou, H. Enriquez, P. Soukiassian, P. Moras, C. Spezzani, C. Crotti and P. Perfetti, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 042114 (2006)
5) V. Derycke, P. Fonteneau, Y.K. Hwu and P. Soukiassian, Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 022105 (2006)
6) C. Radtke, H. Enriquez, J. Arnault, P. Soukiassian, P. Moras, C. Crotti and P. Perfetti,
Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 193110 (2005)
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