Stacking faults in thick (001)- and (111)-oriented 3C-SiC single crystals were studied by high-resolution X-ray diffraction. The authors demonstrated that the analysis of the diffuse scattering intensity distribution could be used as a non-destructive means to accurately determine the densities of Shockley-type stacking faults. The diffuse scattering intensity was simulated with a scattering model based on a difference-equation description of faulting in fcc materials. It was shown that the (001) SiC crystals exhibited an anisotropic fault distribution, whereas the (111) SiC crystals exhibited an isotropic fault distribution, in excellent quantitative agreement with transmission electron microscopy observations.

X-Ray Diffuse Scattering from Stacking Faults in Thick 3C-SiC Single Crystals. A.Boulle, D.Chaussende, L.Latu-Romain, F.Conchon, O.Masson, R.Guinebretière: Applied Physics Letters, 2006, 89[9], 091902 (3pp)