Stacking-fault growth in SiC p-i-n diodes was examined by using light-emission imaging and stressing at 80 or 160A/cm2. Dark areas in the emission developed because of the stacking faults. More detailed images were produced by reducing the current by a factor of 1000. The low-current images were bright lines at dislocations which bounded the stacking faults and at (or near to) the stacking-fault intersection with the surface. Stacking faults nucleated at 1 to 2μm below the surface. Most, but not all, continued growing until they spanned the diode.

Stacking-Fault Formation and Propagation in 4H-SiC PiN Diodes. R.E.Stahlbush, M.Fatemi, J.B.Fedison, S.D.Arthur, L.B.Rowland, S.Wang: Journal of Electronic Materials, 2002, 31[5], 370-5