Initial stages of SiC oxidation investigated by ion scattering and angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies

Abstract
Initial stages of oxidation of single-crystal, Si-faced siliconcarbide were investigated using ion scattering and angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. The very first oxidation products are shown to be silicon oxycarbides ( SiC x O y ), while, for longer oxidation times, a mixture of SiC x O y and SiO 2 is formed in the near-surface region of the growing oxide film. The composition of the near-surface region of such thin films is very similar to that reported in previous investigations for the near-interface region when thicker oxides films are grown on SiC.