Epitaxial growth of β-SiC by rf sputtering on silicon substrates and its porosity by electrochemical anodization

Abstract β-SiC films were prepared on crystalline silicon substrates by radio-frequency sputtering method. High-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were employed to characterize the crystal structure, bonding feature and surface morphology of the films. Porous β-SiC (PSC) films were fabricated using these β-SiC films by electrochemical anodization in the HF-ethanolic solution. Fluorescence photospectrometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and AFM were employed to characterize the samples’ photoluminescence (PL) and surface morphology. Intense blue luminescence with a peak at 2.8 eV has been observed at room temperature. Another peak at about 770 nm (1.61 eV) appears when changing the etching time and vanishes when decreasing the HF concentration in the electrolyte. The luminescence mechanism and structure of the porous β-SiC films were discussed also.