Effect of a surface pre-treatment on graphene growth using a SiC substrate

• Published in: Microelectronic engineering Vol. 87; no. 10; pp. 2002 - 2007
• Main Authors: Seo, Jun-Ho, Kang, Byung-Jin, Mun, Jeong Hun, Lim, Sung-Kyu, Cho, Byung Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.10.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Carbon; Cleaning; Corrosion; Corrosion mechanisms; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electrical resistance; Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Graphene; Graphitization; Materials science; Metals. Metallurgy; Physics; Production techniques; Sacrificial oxidation; Silane treatment; Silanes; Silicon carbide; Sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6); Surface passivation; Surface roughness; Surface treatment; Surface treatments; Sacrificial oxidation; Sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6); Graphene; Silane treatment; Surface passivation; Electrical conductivity; Graphitizing; In situ; Roughness; ); Cleaning; Epitaxial film; Carbon; Sulfur hexafluoride (SF; Surface treatment; Silicon carbide; Zero band gap semiconductors; Oxidation; Silicon; Sulfur; Resistor; Surface conditions; Passivation
• ISSN: 0167-9317; 1873-5568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mee.2009.12.072

This study reports surface pre-treatment techniques for the formation of a high-quality graphene layer on a SiC surface. It is demonstrated that silicon passivation of SiC surface using a silane flow and subsequent sacrificial oxidation can significantly improve the surface condition of a graphene layer on SiC by ensuring much fewer carbon dumps and wrinkles, reducing the electrical resistance, and providing smoother surface roughness and a larger domain size. The effect of in situ cleaning by a SF 6 treatment before graphitization was also studied. It was found that in situ cleaning using SF 6 gas can be a simple and effective means of improving the quality of a graphene layer grown on SiC. The results of this study suggest that a surface treatment before graphitization is the key to synthesize high-quality epitaxial graphene layer.