Well-controlled population of dislocations were introduced in 4H-SiC by bending in cantilever mode and annealing between 400 and 700C. The introduced defects consist of double stacking faults, each bound by a pair of 30° Si(g) partial dislocations, and the expansion of which was asymmetric. The velocity of each individual 30° Si(g) pair was directly measured as a function of stress and temperature on the surface of samples etched after deformation. The activation energies of the 30° Si(g) partial dislocation pairs were strongly stress dependent, ranging between 1.25 and 1.7eV. These values were lower than the ones derived from plasticity experiments. This was probably because 30° Si(g) pairs and double stacking faults were generated in N-doped 4H-SiC (N = 2 x 1018/cm3), with their development being promoted by quantum well action.

30° Si(g) Partial Dislocation Mobility in Nitrogen-Doped 4H-SiC. H.Idrissi, B.Pichaud, G.Regula, M.Lancin: Journal of Applied Physics, 2007, 101[11], 113533