Preferential effects in low-energy Si bombardment of SiC

Using molecular dynamics simulation, we study the effects of 200 eV Si bombardment of a (100) SiC crystal. The projectile range is considerably smaller than in pure Si; this is due to the higher atomic density in SIG. Damage formation (Frenkel pairs, antisites, lattice disorder) is suppressed owing to the hardness of SiC. Damage is created preferentially in the C sublattice; we show that this is not a mass effect, but is related to the small size and small dislocation threshold of the C atom. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.