Aluminum Nitride-Silicon Carbide Alloy Crystals Grown on SiC Substrates by Sublimation
AlN-SiC alloy crystals, with a thickness greater than 500 m, were grown on 4H- and 6H-SiC substrates from a mixture of AlN and SiC powders by the sublimation-recondensation method at 1860-1990 C. On-axis SiC substrates produced a rough surface covered with hexagonal grains, while 6H- and 4H- off-axis SiC substrates with different miscut angles (8? or 3.68?) formed a relatively smooth surface with terraces and steps. The substrate misorientation ensured that the AlN-SiC alloy crystals grew two dimensionally as identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that the AlN-SiC alloys had the wurtzite structure. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that the resultant alloy crystals had non-stoichiometric ratios of Al:N and Si:C and a uniform composition throughout the alloy crystal from the interface to the surface. The composition ratio of Al:Si of the alloy crystals changed with the growth temperature, and differed from the original source composition, which was consistent with the results predicted by thermodynamic calculation of the solid-vapor distribution of each element. XPS detected the bonding between Si-C, Si-N, Si-O for the Si 2p spectra. The dislocation density decreased with the growth, which was lower than 106 cm-2 at the alloy surface, more than two orders of magnitude lower compared to regions close to the crystal/substrate interface, as determined by TEM.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 878275
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-47567; 9609; KP1303000; TRN: US200611%%9
- Journal Information:
- MRS Internet Journal of Nitride Semiconductor Research, Vol. 10, Issue 5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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