Non-destructive observation of in-grown stacking faults in 4H-SiC epitaxial layer using mirror electron microscope
- Central Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd., 1-280, Higashi-koigakubo, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185-8601 (Japan)
Mirror electron microscope (MEM) observation has been conducted for a 4-{mu}m-thick n-doped 4H-SiC epitaxial layer. If the sample is simultaneously illuminated with ultraviolet (UV) light of a slightly greater energy than the bandgap energy of 4H-SiC, in-grown stacking faults (IGSFs) can be clearly observed in MEM images. These observations were performed non-destructively, as almost all irradiated electrons returned without impinging the sample surface due to the negative voltage applied to the sample. High spatial resolution observation via MEM showed that multiple IGSFs were stacked up. The phenomenon in which the contrast of the IGSFs vanished in the absence of UV illumination and under UV illumination with a lower energy than the bandgap energy revealed that the origin of the contrast was the negative charging of IGSFs trapping electrons excited by UV light.
- OSTI ID:
- 22036736
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 110, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ELECTRONS
ENERGY GAP
EPITAXY
ILLUMINANCE
LAYERS
MICROSTRUCTURE
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON CARBIDES
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
STACKING FAULTS
SURFACES
TRAPPING
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION