On the stability of 𝛃-SiC with respect to chemical disorder induced by irradiation with energetic particles

X-ray diffraction measurements of changes in the long-range structural orderof 𝛃-SiC thin films have been performed during irradiation with energetic ions atlow temperature. The decrease in both the chemical and the topological order wasanalysed in situ using the superstructure (002) and the fundamental (004)reflections of the zincblende-type structure, in a dose range up to completeamorphization. The data indicate that the crystalline-to-amorphous transitionis a continuous process rather than a sudden collapse of a defective crystalstructure and that, in contrast with previous assumptions, 𝛃-SiC remains stablewith respect to amorphization up to a high degree of chemical disorder.