Abstract
The range of polishing-induced subsurface damage remaining in a commercially available production grade 4H-SiC (0001) epi-ready substrate was evaluated by the observation from the (-1100) cleavage plane using two kinds of highly strain-sensitive characterization methods. Firstly, the analysis using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) with a submicron spatial resolution was conducted on the exposed cross sectional plane. Then, for the further quantitative evaluation excluding the influence of roughness or contamination of the cleavage plane, a synchrotron X-ray micro-diffraction experiment was carried out. The range of the subsurface damage evaluated in those experiments was ensured by confirming none of additional strain inserted at the cleavage, as compared with the damage-free substrate prepared by high temperature thermal etching. As a result, the depth of the residual strained region below polishing-induced scratches at the surface was estimated to be in the range of a few microns, which is much deeper than the previously reported value of 100 nm by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. It suggests a potential of EBSD for the conventional tool to characterize even a small amount of strain in SiC single crystal.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Y. Ishikawa et al., Mater. Sci. Forum, Vols. 717–720, pp 383–386 (2012).
K. Masumoto et al., Materials 7, 7010 (2014).
M. Sasaki et al., Mater. Sci. Forum, vols. 778–780, pp 398–401 (2014).
H. Sako et al., Mater. Sci. Forum vols. 778–780, pp 370–373 (2014).
P. Vicente et al., Mater. Sci. Eng. B. 80, 348–351 (2001).
E. K. Sanchez et al., J. Elec, Soc. 149, G131–G136 (2002).
D. J. Dingley et al., J. Elec. Microsc. 59 (supplement), S155–S163 (2010).
A. J. Wilkinson et al., Materialstoday 15, 366–376 (2012).
M. Syvajarvi et al., J. Cryst. Growth 208, 409–415 (2000).
S. Ushio et al., Mater. Sci. Forum, vols. 717–720, pp 573–576 (2012).
Y. Imai, et al., AIP Conf. Proc. 1221, 30 (2010).
U. Zimmermann et al., Mater. Sci. Forum, vols. 433–436, pp 937–940 (2003).
C. Trager-Cowan et al., Phys. Rev. B., 75, 085301 (2007).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ashida, K., Dojima, D., Kutsuma, Y. et al. Evaluation of Polishing-Induced Subsurface Damage of 4H-SiC (0001) by Cross-Sectional Electron Backscattered Diffraction and Synchrotron X-Ray Micro-Diffraction. MRS Advances 1, 3697–3702 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2016.433
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2016.433