*2.2. Characterization Techniques*

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) was used to measure the elemental composition, stoichiometry, and the thickness of the as-deposited SiC thin films. The measurements were performed with a pelletron accelerator using 2 MeV 4He+ beam with a particle detector positioned at 170◦ from the incident beam. The RBS spectra were analyzed using the computer code RUMP (RBS analysis package) developed by L. R. Doolittle from Cornell University [38]. To verify the accuracy of the RBS thickness measurements and the thickness uniformity, mechanical profilometry (P-7 Stylus Profiler, KLA Tencor, Milpitas, CA, USA) measurements were performed.

The crystallinity of the SiC films was inferred from GIXRD with incidence angles (ω) of 1.0◦, 1.5◦, and 2.0◦ using an X-ray diffractometer (PW1830/1840, Philips, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) with CuKα radiation. For Raman spectroscopy measurements, a model 2000 Renishaw system (Renishaw, Wotton-under-Edge, UK), equipped with an Ar ion laser (514.5 nm) was used. Raman spectra were obtained at room temperature in the range of 400–1800 cm<sup>−</sup>1.
