2.3 SiC Semiconductor Crystal Growth

Most single-crystal semiconductor boules are grown by crystal pulling or seeded solidification from melts consisting of elemental (Si and Ge) or compound semiconductors such as III-V and some II-VI. However, the thermodynamics of SiC render these approaches impractical at present for the production of industrial quantities of monocrystalline SiC. The SiC phase diagram [36] exhibits a peritectic at 2830$~^{\circ}$C with a total pressure of $\sim$10 Pa. Calculations suggest that stoichiometric melting occurs only at pressures exceeding 10 atm and temperatures 3200$~^{\circ}$C [32]. It is possible to create this type of growth conditions. However, such a process is currently not feasible for commercial production of large-diameter SiC wafer.

Subsections

• 2.3.1 Historical Lack of Wafers
• 2.3.2 Sublimation Growth of Wafers
  • 2.3.2.1 Commercially Available Wafers
  • 2.3.2.2 Wafer Crystal Defects
  
  
• 2.3.3 Epitaxy
  • 2.3.3.1 Epitaxial Growth
  • 2.3.3.2 Homoepitaxial Growth
  • 2.3.3.3 Epilayer Doping
  • 2.3.3.4 Epilayer Crystal Defects
  • 2.3.3.5 Commercially Available Epilayers

T. Ayalew: SiC Semiconductor Devices Technology, Modeling, and Simulation