Epitaxy of nanocrystalline silicon carbide on Si(111) at room temperature.

Silicon carbide (SiC) has unique chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. A factor strongly limiting SiC-based technologies is the high-temperature synthesis. In this work, we provide unprecedented experimental and theoretical evidence of 3C-SiC epitaxy on silicon at room temperature by using a buckminsterfullerene (C(60)) supersonic beam. Chemical processes, such as C(60) rupture, are activated at a precursor kinetic energy of 30-35 eV, far from thermodynamic equilibrium. This result paves the way for SiC synthesis on polymers or plastics that cannot withstand high temperatures.