Papers by Keyword: HCl Etching

Abstract: We report on new observations made, when 4H-SiC, Si-face substrate mesas, having either low tilt-angle (< 1°) with steps or step-free top surfaces, were exposed to three separate HCl etching conditions for five minutes at temperatures of 1130°C, 1240°C and 1390°C. We observed that HCl was ineffective at 1130°C, as etching was incomplete with abundant surface contamination. At 1240°C, screw dislocations were aggressively etched by HCl, while multiple shallow flat-bottomed etch pits were formed on step-free mesa surfaces. At 1390°C, step-flow etching dominated as large etch pits were formed at screw dislocations and previously step-free surfaces etched inward from mesa edges to form parallel rows of organized steps.