Description:
Reference #: 00948
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Method of Growing High Quality, Thick SiC Epitaxial Films at High Growth Rates in a Hotwall CVD Reactor
Background:
One of the greatest challenges of growing SiC epitaxial films by high temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is to restrict the gas phase nucleation or cluster formation or aerosol formation of silicon during growth. These particles adversely influence the growth by reducing the growth rate due to precursor losses, as well as degrading the crystal quality. A continuing need exists for higher growth rates that can result in a high quality, thick homoepitaxial SiC epilayer, particularly those methods that can inhibit and/or prevent formation of silicon droplets and/or parasitic growth during CVD.
Invention Description:
A substrate can be positioned within a hot wall CVD chamber (e.g., onto a susceptor within the CVD chamber). At least two source gases can then be introduced into the hot wall CVD chamber such that, upon decomposition, fluorine atoms, carbon atoms, and silicon atoms are present within the CVD chamber. The epilayer comprising SiC can then be grown on the surface of the substrate in the presence of the fluorine atoms.
Potential Applications:
• High-temperature electronic devices, such as sensors, control electronics, and power electronics that can operate at temperatures up to 600 °C and beyond.
Advantages and Benefits:
• Improved crystal quality
• Little-to-no degradation of morphology on the epilayer surface, so there is no need to perform post polishing and dry etching on the grown epilayer for device fabrication