Gas fed top-seeded solution growth of silicon carbide

Abstract

International audienceThe growth of SiC crystals or epilayers from the liq. phase has already been reported for many years. Even if the resulting material can be of very high structural quality and the possibility to close micropipes was demonstrated, handling the liq. phase still is a challenge. Moreover, it is highly difficult to stabilize the C dissoln. front and then to stabilize the growth front over a long growth time. Based on the Vapor-Liq.-Solid mechanism, we present a new configuration for the growth of SiC single crystal which should allow first to simplify the liq. handling at high temp. and second to precisely control the crystal growth front. The process consists in a modified top seeded soln. growth method, in which the liq. is held under electromagnetic levitation and fed from the gas phase. In a Co-Si soln. fed from a propane flow at 1350 DegC, thick epitaxial layers of 4H-SiC have been grown at 28 mm/h. The potentiality of this new process will be discussed in the paper