Recrystallization of ion-implanted α-SiC

The annealing behavior of ion-implanted α-SiC single crystal was determined for samples implanted with 62 keV ¹⁴N to doses of 5.5X10¹⁴/cm² and 8.0X10¹⁶/cm² and with 260 keV ⁵²Cr to doses of 1.5X10¹⁴/cm² and 1.0X10¹⁶/cm². The high-dose samples formed amorphous surface layers to depths of 0.17 μm (N) and 0.28 μm (Cr), while for the low doses only highly damaged but not randomized regions were formed. The samples were isochronically annealed up to 1600°C, holding each temperature for 10 min. The remaining damage was analyzed by Rutherford backscattering of 2 MeV He⁺, Raman scattering, and electron channeling. About 15% of the width of the amorphous layers regrew cpitaxially from the underlying undamaged material up to 1500°C, above which the damage annealed rapidly in a narrow temperature interval. The damage in the crystalline samples annealed linearly with temperature and was unmeasurable above 1000°C.