LEED and Auger electron observations of the SiC(0001) surface

LEED and AES experiments of the SiC{0001} crystal surfaces show that on heat-treatment these surfaces are easily "covered" with a layer of graphite by evaporation of silicon. The graphite layer, which has a distinct crystallographic relation to the SiC crystal, is monocrystalline on the Si-face and mostly polycrystalline on the C-face. A speculation about the mechanism of the initial graphitization of the basal faces of SiC is given.