Hydrogen etching was carried out on the (00•1)-oriented 6H–SiC wafer at 1450 to

1650C. Surface topography and morphology was characterized by atomic force

microscopy. Optimal conditions were found, under which all scratches due to the

polishing process were efficiently removed and the atomically smooth, clean

surface of SiC(00•1) was achieved. The most characteristic elements observed on

the perfectly etched surface were straight-line steps of equal height and nearly the

same width. The atomic force microscopic imaging also revealed intrinsic defects

of the samples. Conditions were found for maintaining the saturation of etching

products on the surface at the level enabling the empty core dislocations to be

formed during etching. The observed population of the dislocations ranges between

107 and 108cm−2. Burgers vectors of the dislocations as evaluated on the basis of

Frank's model were equal to 2 or 3 lattice constants.

Empty Core Screw Dislocations Formed on 6H–SiC(0001) During Hydrogen

Etching. M.Grodzicki, P.Mazur, S.Zuber, G.Urbanik, A.Ciszewski: Thin Solid

Films, 2008, 516[21], 7530-7