A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system was designed and fabricated in our laboratory and SiC homo-epitaxial layers were grown in the CVD process using silicon tetrachloride and propane precursors with hydrogen as a carrier gas. The temperature field was generated using numerical modeling. Gas flow rates, temperature field, and the gradients are found to influence the growth rates of the epitaxial layers. Growth rates were found to increase as the temperature increased at high carrier gas flow rate, while at lower carrier gas flow rate, growth rates were observed to decrease as the temperature increased. Based on the equilibrium model, “thermodynamically controlled growth” accounts for the growth rate reduction. The grown epitaxial layers were characterized using various techniques. Reduction in the threading screw dislocation (SD) density in the epilayers was observed. Suitable models were developed for explaining the reduction in the SD density as well as the conversion of basal plane dislocations (BPDs) into threading edge dislocations (TEDs).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
N.G. Hingorani, K.E. Stahlkopf, Scientific Am. 269, 78 (1993)
M. Bhatnagar, B.J. Baliga, IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev. 40, 645 (1993)
B.J. Baliga, Proc. IEEE 82, 1112 (1994)
O. Kordina, C. Hallin, A. Ellison, A.S. Bakin, I.G. Ivanov, A. Henry, R. Yakimova, M. Touminen, A. Vehanen, E. Janzen, Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 1456 (1996)
M.A. Fanton, M. Skowronski, D.W. Snyder, H.J. Chung, S. Nigam, B.E. Weiland, S.W. Huh, Mater. Res. Forum 457–460, 87 (2004)
S. Ha, P. Mieszkowski, M. Skowronski, L.B. Rowland, J. Cryst. Growth 244, 257 (2002)
G. Dhanaraj, X.R. Huang, M. Dudley, V. Prasad, R.H. M, in Crystal Growth Technology, ed. K. Byrappa T. Ohachi, William Andrew (New York: Springer, 2003), pp. 181–232
G. Dhanaraj, F. Liu, M. Dudley, H. Zhang, V. Prasad, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 815, J5.31.1 (2004)
G. Dhanaraj, M. Dudley, R.-H. Ma, H. Zhang, V. Prasad, Rev. Scientific Instrum. 75, 2843 (2004)
G. Dhanaraj, M. Dudley, Y. Chen, B. Raghathamachar, B. Wu, H. Zhang, J. Cryst. Growth 287, 344 (2006)
Y. Chen, G. Dhanaraj, H. Chen, W. Vetter, M. Dudley, H.␣Zhang, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. 891, 0891-EE12-11 (2005)
G. Dhanaraj, Y. Chen, M. Dudley, H. Zhang, Mater. Sci. Forum 527–529, 67 (2006)
Y. Chen, G. Dhanaraj, M. Dudley, H. Zhang, R. Ma, Y.␣Shishkin, S.E. Saddow, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp., 0911-B09-04
G. Dhanaraj, Y. Chen, H. Chen, W.M. Vetter, H. Zhang, M.␣Dudley, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp., 0911-B05-27
R.H. Ma, H. Zhang, V. Prasad, M. Dudley, Cryst. Growth Des. 2, 213 (2002)
S. Ha, P. Mieszkowski, M. Skowronski, L.B. Rowland, J. Cryst. Growth 244, 257 (2002)
T. Ohno, H. Yamaguchi, S. Kuroda, K. Kojima, T. Suzuki, K. Arai, J. Cryst. Growth 260, 209 (2004)
T. Ohno, H. Yamaguchi, S. Kuroda, K. Kojima, T. Suzuki, K. Arai, J. Cryst. Growth 271, 1 (2004)
Z. Zhang, A. Shrivastava, T.S. Sudarshan, Mater. Sci. Forum (2005)
G. Dhanaraj (Invited presentation at II-VI Inc., NJ USA Jan, 3, 2005)
H. Klapper, H. Küppers, Acta Cryst. A 29, 495 (1973)
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by ONR Grant Nos. N0001140010348, N000140110302, and N00014 0211014 (contract monitor Dr. Colin Wood) and by Dow Corning Corportation under contract nos. N000140500324 and DAAD1701C0081. Topography experiments were carried out at the Stony Brook Synchrotron Topography Facility (Beamline X-19C) at the NSLS Brookhaven National Laboratories (Contract No. DE-AC02-76CH00016).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dhanaraj, G., Chen, Y., Chen, H. et al. Chemical Vapor Deposition of Silicon Carbide Epitaxial Films and Their Defect Characterization. J. Electron. Mater. 36, 332–339 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-006-0084-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-006-0084-2