Expansion of Basal Plane Dislocation in 4H-SiC Epitaxial Layer on A-Plane by Electron Beam Irradiation

Abstract

The expansion behavior of basal plane dislocations (BPDs) in a 4H-SiC epitaxial layer on the (110) A-plane under electron beam (EB) (//[110]) irradiation was observed. BPD expanded and formed a single Shockley stacking fault (SSSF) between a partial dislocation (PD) pair. The width of the SSSF was proportional to the EB current. The dependence of the expansion velocity on the irradiation position was observed with a fixed EB spot. It was found that the electron-hole pair migration to the PD and/or SSSF can expand the SSSF. The velocity of SSSF expansion by direct SSSF excitation with an EB was much smaller than that by the preferential excitation of a PD with migrated electron-hole pairs.