Structural analysis of the 3C|4H boundaries formed on prismatic planes in 4H-SiC epitaxial films

Abstract

The boundaries between 3C and 4H-SiC domains on the prismatic planes of hexagonal lattices formed in a 4H-SiC epitaxial film were investigated using both transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy. These observations determined that the boundaries have a periodic structure, in which each unit cell consists of 12 basal planes of the hexagonal lattice. Six Shockley partial dislocations are situated in each unit cell of the boundary structure. Burgers vectors and core structures of these partial dislocations are discussed.