An investigation was made of  the influence of thermal oxidation on stacking faults in 4H-SiC epilayers by performing micro-photoluminescence measurements for 4H-SiC substrates before and after thermal oxidation. It was found that SF (emission wavelength: ∼425.5nm) thought to be a single Shockley stacking fault was expanded by thermal oxidation. In addition, as a result of comparison between before and after Ar annealing, the SF was not extended after Ar annealing. It was also found that only the SFs extended by laser irradiation were eliminated by oxidation.

Micro-Photoluminescence Study on the Influence of Oxidation on Stacking Faults in 4H-SiC Epilayers. H.Yamagata, S.Yagi, Y.Hijikata, H.Yaguchi: Applied Physics Express, 2012, 5[5], 051302