Method for neutral beam processing based on gas cluster ion beam technology and articles produced thereby

A silicon substrate, comprising a shallow surface layer of SiCx (0.05<x<3) as produced by a process of accelerated and focused Neutral Beam irradiation of a silicon substrate surface to a selected depth, wherein the Neutral Beam is derived from an antecedent gas cluster ion beam comprising carbon atoms, with essentially no silicon material in the Neutral Beam which cluster ion beam has had its cluster ions dissociated and charged particles removed, and further controlling the Neutral Beam irradiation conditions to produce a Neutral Beam irradiated surface to a selected shallow layer (1 to 3 nanometers) subsurface depth of the silicon substrate and said shallow layer subsurface depth has a composition of SiCx(0.05<x<3) with the Si content derived essentially solely from the substrate itself.