The Application of Dynamical Thermal Annealing Processes after Mechanical Slicing as an Integrated Contactless SiC Wafering Method to Control Crystal Defects
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: We have developed a novel, material-lossless silicon carbide (SiC) wafer manufacturing process that eliminates the need for conventional grinding and polishing. Utilizing a thermal sublimation growth and etching technique called Dynamic AGE-ing® (DA), we simultaneously performed thermal sublimation etching and growth on both the Si-face and C-face of single-crystal SiC wafers. This study investigated the impact of surface undulations—arising during DA planarization of as-sliced wafers with varying slicing qualities—on the densities of basal plane dislocations (BPDs) and in-grown stacking faults (IGSFs) in the epitaxial layers. Our findings demonstrate that larger pre-growth surface undulations correlate with higher BPD and IGSF densities in the DA-grown layers. By optimizing the initial wafer quality and DA process conditions, we achieved epitaxial layers with low defect densities (BPD density of 0.09 cm⁻² and IGSF density of 1.37 cm⁻²) without any material loss. This advancement offers a significant breakthrough in SiC device manufacturing, potentially reducing material costs and enhancing device performance by suppressing killer defects in the epitaxial layers.
Source: Materials science forum
DOI: 10.4028/p-qkqx1y
Authors: Kohei Toda, Daichi Dojima, Yuta Nakajima, Hiroshi Mihara, Tadaaki Kaneko
Institution: Kwansei Gakuin University
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4414018213