Abstract
Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) were employed to investigate epitaxial SiC growth on 4H-SiC mesa structures. SiC polytypes were identified by indexing Kikuchi maps recorded from various points on the mesa surfaces. Orientation contrast was observed between different polytype surfaces using ECCI by forescattered electron detection. Extended defects in 3C-SiC were imaged directly by ECCI. Additionally, the ECCI technique was utilized to correlate dislocations with atomic step morphologies for various mesa surfaces. Evidence of vertical growth enhancement in the form of additional faceting was attributed to the presence of threading screw dislocations at mesa surfaces. Atomic steps were observed very near the edges of some mesa surfaces free of dislocations.
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Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge B. Obsborn and M. Mrdenovich at NASA Glenn for SiC sample preparation, D.J. Rowenhorst and K.E. Knipling at NRL for assistance with the EBSD system, and R.E. Stahlbush at NRL for useful discussions. Work at the Naval Research Laboratory was supported by the Office of Naval Research, and at NASA Glenn Research Center under the Ultra Efficient Engine Technology and Director’s Discretionary Fund Programs.
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Picard, Y.N., Twigg, M.E., Caldwell, J.D. et al. Epitaxial SiC Growth Morphology and Extended Defects Investigated by Electron Backscatter Diffraction and Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging. J. Electron. Mater. 37, 691–698 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-007-0308-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-007-0308-0