Structure evolution during the transformation of Si into SiC by the method of coordinated substitution of atoms

Using the example of the formation of epitaxial silicon carbide (SiC) layers on silicon (Si) by the method of coordinated substitution of atoms, studies have been conducted on the evolution of the structure during phase transformations in multicomponent crystals with chemical reactions. A significant change over time in the microstructure and properties of the formed SiC layers was observed. The microstructure and properties of the SiC/Si layers were analyzed using the method of photoluminescence (PL), reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), the method of spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and the evolution of the structure of the SiC-Si interface boundary was studied using the method of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that during the first five minutes of synthesis, a change in the reconstruction of the SiC surface occurs, moreover, elastic deformations change from compressive to tensile. It was also found that during the synthesis of SiC on Si(111), both a (3 $\times$ 3) and a (2 $\times$ 1) reconstruction can form on the SiC surface.