When a 4H-SiC p–i–n diode was operated under forward biasing, it rapidly degrades, and the degradation was accompanied by the generation of a high density of stacking faults in the active region of the device. The partial dislocations bounding the stacking faults were investigated here by transmission electron microscopy. They were found to be in the form of single leading partial half-loops with a 1/3<10▪0> Burgers vector that bound triangular-shaped stacking faults. Two sides of each faulted loop were bound by two partial dislocation segments lying along different <1¯2▪0> directions, while the other edge of the triangular stacking fault was a surface (or interfacial) step. The core nature of the two segments was determined by the technique of large-angle, convergent-beam electron diffraction, and found to be different: one had a Si core, while the other had a C core.

Transmission Electron Microscopy Investigation of Dislocations in Forward-Biased 4H-SiC p–i–n Diodes. M.Zhang, P.Pirouz, H.Lendenmann: Applied Physics Letters, 2003, 83[16], 3320-2