Growth and electrical properties of 3C-SiC/nanocrystalline diamond layered films

Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC)/nitrogen-incorporated nanocrystalline diamond layered films are prepared on p-type Si(100) substrates by carbonization and chemical vapor deposition in moderate-pressure microwave plasmas. X-ray diffraction, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy reveal that epitaxial 3C-SiC thin layers about 10 nm thick with very high phase-purity are grown at the interface of Si and nanocrystalline diamond. The infrared absorption coefficient for the 3C-SiC layer is estimated to be around 420000 cm^-1. The p-Si/3C-SiC/n- nanocrystalline diamond junction in a diode configuration shows rectification in the current-voltage measurement. Structural defects and surface roughening of the SiC layers are highly responsible for increasing the reverse leakage current and thus lowering the diode performance.