SiC epitaxial growth on porous SiC substrates

ABSTRACTWe report on the growth and crystal quality of CVD epitaxial layers grown on porous SiC (PSC) substrates. A layer of porous SiC was fabricated by surface anodization of commercial 4H and 6H-SiC (0001)Si face off-axis wafers. The 4H and 6H-SiC epilayers were grown on porous SiC (PSC) substrates using atmospheric pressure CVD at 1580°C and a Si to C ratio of 0.3. Results of X-ray diffraction, RHEED, SEM and AFM characterization demonstrated good surface quality of the films grown on porous material. PL data indicate a greatly improved defect structure in the epi layers grown on PSC as compared to control samples. Preliminary etch pit experiments to estimate the dislocation density indicate a three-fold reduction in defect density in the epi material grown on PSC substrates as compared to epi grown conventional substrates.