Photoluminescence Study of Oxidation-Induced Stacking Faults in 4H-SiC Epilayers

Abstract

We have investigated the effect of thermal oxidation on stacking faults (SFs) in 4H-SiC epilayers using photoluminescence imaging. We found that a comb-shaped dislocation array was deformed by thermal oxidation and that SFs were formed on both sides of the comb-shaped dislocation array by a laser irradiation. Transmission electron microscopy has been performed in the comb-shaped dislocation array to observe the stacking pattern of SF near the dislocation. As a result, the SF turned out to be a single Shockley SF (1SSF). We also found that line-shaped faults perpendicular to the off-cut direction were formed during oxidation and were stretched with oxidation time. Moreover, triangle-shaped SFs were formed/expanded from the line-shaped faults by a laser irradiation. The characteristics of these line-shaped faults were discussed.