Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
A simple mechanistic model of the oxidation of SiC is presented and analysed using Monte- Carlo simulation techniques. The model explains the observed anisotropic oxidation rate of SiC in terms of the effect of weakening/strengthening of Si-C bonds arising from the ongoing incorporation of highly electronegative oxygen atoms into the crystal lattice. The extraction of key process metrics (such as oxide thickness, interface roughness and oxide defect density) from the Monte-Carlo simulations is discussed.