Double-Position-Boundaries Free 3C-SiC Epitaxial Layers Grown on On-Axis 4H-SiC

High quality double-position-boundaries free 3C-SiC epilayers have been successfully grown on on-axis (0001) 4H-SiC by chemical vapor deposition at optimized conditions as observed with optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The effect of the growth parameters, including temperature, C/Si ratio, ramp-up condition, Si/H-2 ratio, N-2 addition and pressure, on the quality of the grown layers is investigated. Different techniques, including microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, are used to characterize the epilayers. High resolution X-ray diffraction shows 2 theta-omega curve with full width at half maximum of only 16 arcsec for the (111) reflection detected from a 35 mu m thick 3C-SiC layer, showing the good structural quality of the layer. Reciprocal space maps confirm the absence of double-position-boundaries in a large depth of the layers. Low temperature photoluminescence measurement shows clear near-bandgap emission with sharp and single peaks, which further verifies the high quality of the epilayers. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.