Structure and ultraviolet photoluminescence of 3C-SiC films grown on Si(111)

The structure and light-emitting properties of nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide films prepared by chemical conversion from hexane vapors are discussed. The morphology, the composition, and the crystallographic structure of the grown silicon carbide thick films are thoroughly analyzed using X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, white light interferometry, and scanning probe and transmission electron microscopies. The excitation with the use of the third harmonic of a femtosecond laser (λ_excit = 266 nm) makes it possible for the first time to reveal the luminescence line lying in the deep UV region with the wavelength λ = 340 nm in addition to the usually observed lines in the high-temperature photoluminescence spectrum. The nature of the lines observed in the photoluminescence spectrum is discussed.