1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
[16p-PA05-2] Step unbunching phenomenon on 4H-SiC substrate surface
Keywords:silicon carbide, graphene, step bunching
The nano-scale control of the surface morphology of SiC is often important because it affects the thickness of the gate oxide layer as well as the growth result of graphene by the thermal decomposition method. It is generally known that, during hydrogen etching process of the SiC substrate, step bunching phenomenon takes place and atomic steps on the surface bunch into larger ones. In this study, we report step “unbunching” phenomenon, where the bunched steps with sub-nanometer height become lower ones having the height of 4H-SiC unit cell.