Using 6H silicon carbide (6H-SiC) wafers including domains with different values of residual stress, the birefringence pattern of threading dislocations was measured and modelled. A quantitative fit of the birefringence pattern made it possible to identify the basal plane component of the Burgers vector with a reasonable accuracy, and it was shown that  a varying level of residual stress over the SiC wafer results in substantial modifications of the birefringence patterns, which were well accounted for by the simulation. Birefringence data were compared with etch-pits formed after KOH etching, and the information which could be extracted from the combined use of both techniques was critically assessed.

Critical Assessment of Birefringence Imaging of Dislocations in 6H Silicon Carbide. L.T.M.Hoa, T.Ouisse, D.Chaussende: Journal of Crystal Growth, 2012, 354[1], 202-7