Kazuaki Seki

High-Efficiency Conversion of Threading Screw Dislocations in 4H-SiC by Solution Growth

The high-efficiency conversion of threading screw dislocations (TSDs) in 4H-SiC by solution growth provides an efficient method of obtaining ultra high-quality SiC crystals. The behavior of TSDs on on-axis and off-axis 4H-SiC0001 seed crystals was investigated by synchrotron X-ray topography. Almost all TSDs in the off-axis Si-face seed crystal were converted to Frank-type stacking faults on the basal planes. The conversion ratio of TSDs was highly influenced by the surface polarity of the seed crystal. The stacking faults laterally propagate toward the outside of the crystal.

Evolution of threading screw dislocation conversion during solution growth of 4H-SiC

Evolution of threading screw dislocation (TSD) conversion during the solution growth of 4H-SiC on a vicinal crystal of 4H-SiC(0001) was investigated by synchrotron X-ray topography. Selecting appropriate X-ray wavelength and g vector, we can change the penetration of X-ray, and the dislocation behaviors with the different depth were successfully observed. Evidently TSDs parallel to the c-axis having c-component Burgers vector were changed into defects on the (0001) basal planes with the same Burgers vector as the TSDs, propagating to the [112¯0] step-flow direction by advancing macrosteps during the solution growth. The TSD conversions stochastically took place during the growth. The conversion rate was almost uniform and finally almost all TSDs were converted to the basal plane defects. The conversion rate was low at the very early stage of the growth, which implies that the macrosteps were not formed at the initial stage of the solution growth.

Low-dislocation-density 4H-SiC crystal growth utilizing dislocation conversion during solution method

We report a marked reduction in the dislocation density of a 4H-SiC crystal using a high-efficiency dislocation conversion phenomenon. During the solution growth, threading dislocations were efficiently converted to basal plane defects by the step flow of macrosteps. Utilizing this dislocation conversion phenomenon, we achieved the marked reduction of threading dislocation density. Consequently, the threading screw dislocation density was only 30 cm−2, which was two orders of magnitude lower than that of the seed crystal. The 4H-SiC polytype of the seed crystal was replicated in the grown crystal, which was attributed to the spiral growth owing to a few remaining threading screw dislocations upstream of the step flow.

Reduction of Threading Screw Dislocation Utilizing Defect Conversion during Solution Growth of 4H-SiC

Reduction of threading screw dislocation without polytype transformation from 4H-SiC was performed by the combination of step-flow growth and spiral growth. On a vicinal 4H-SiC seed crystal, threading screw dislocations are converted to Frank-type stacking faults by step-flow during solution growth. As the growth proceeds, the defects are excluded to the crystal. Thus utilizing the conversion, high quality SiC crystal growth without threading screw dislocations is expected to achieve. However, at the same time, polytype transformation is caused by the occurrence of 2D nucleation. By using the special shape of seed crystal, we successfully grew high quality 4H-SiC crystal without threading screw dislocation and polytype transformation.

Conversion Mechanism of Threading Screw Dislocation during SiC Solution Growth

Solution growth is considered to be a powerful method for high quality SiC crystals. This work reports that the conversion process from a threading screw dislocation into a few Frank partial dislocations in basal planes was investigated by synchrotron X-ray topography. This process was effectively assisted by step-flow growth on off-oriented (0001) seed crystals. The Frank partials were not extended into the crystal grown toward the [0001] direction perpendicular to the basal plane. Thus, the conclusion of this study suggests the use of off-oriented seed crystal is important to improve crystal quality.

Effect of Surface Polarity on the Conversion of Threading Dislocations in Solution Growth

We investigated the dislocation behaviors during the solution growth on Si-face and C-face off-axis 4H-SiC seed crystals by using synchrotron X-ray topography. On Si-face, almost all threading screw dislocations (TSDs) and threading edge dislocations (TEDs) are converted into Frank-type defects and basal plane dislocations (BPDs), respectively. On the other hand, on C-face, TSDs were hardly converted. Some of TEDs were converted to BPDs and BPD-TED reconversion was often occurred. Therefore, to reduce density of threading dislocations in the grown crystal, it is better to use Si-face off-axis seed crystal.

Defect Evaluation of SiC Crystal Grown by Solution Method: The Study by Synchrotron X-Ray Topography and Etching Method

We investigated dislocation behavior in the crystal grown on 6H-SiC (0001) by solution method using synchrotron X-ray topography and thermal chlorine etching. It was confirmed that basal plane dislocation was not newly formed in the grown layer. In addition, the positions of threading screw dislocations (TSDs) were displaced and some of them disappeared in the grown layer. This displacement was caused by the bending of the TSDs during growth.

Polytype Stability of 4H-SiC Seed Crystal on Solution Growth

We investigated the polytype transition process from 4H-SiC to 6H-SiC during solution growth from the viewpoint of growth mode. The polarity dependence of the dominant grown polytype was similar to those of the sublimation growth and the CVD growth that 4H-SiC relatively grew stably on the C-face. Moreover, the polytype transition occurred during spiral growth. The 6H-SiC expanded to periphery overgrowing on the 4H-SiC. In contrast, there is no sign that 4H-SiC grew on 6H-SiC.

Polytype and Crystal Quality of SiC Crystals Grown on 3C-SiC by Seeded Solution Method

We investigated the effects of the solution growth process on the polytype and crystal quality of the crystals grown on (111) 3C-SiC seed crystals. In spite of the use of 3C-SiC seed crystals, the polytype of the grown crystal changed from 3C-SiC to 6H-SiC, because the stacking errors easily occur due to the similarity of the (111) face of 3C-SiC and the (0001) face of 6H-SiC. Moreover, the grown 6H-SiC crystal affected the crystal quality of the seed crystal, i.e., high-density stacking faults were induced in the seed crystal after the growth process.

Solution Growth of SiC Crystals in Si-Ti and Si-Ge-Ti Solvents

We investigated effects of Ti and Ge additions to Si solvent on the volume and the polytype of SiC precipitate in unseeded SiC solution growth. The Ti addition increased the amount of SiC precipitates. Compared to pure Si solvent, the amount of crystal grown in Si-30at%Ti at 1600 °C increased by 5 times. In addition, the Ti addition induced the precipitation of 6H-SiC. Further, the Ge addition to Si-Ti solvent promoted several polytype precipitations (4H and 6H). These results indicate the possibility of polytype control by solvent composition.