What does this research mean for the field?

Defect reduction strategies in CVD-grown silicon carbide epitaxial wafers can significantly enhance device performance and reliability. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The review aims to clarify the mechanisms of defect generation in silicon carbide epitaxial growth via chemical vapor deposition and identify methods to reduce these defects.

February 19, 2026Open Access

Structure Defects in CVD-Grown Silicon Carbide Epitaxial Wafers: From Fundamental Principles to Advanced Reduction Strategies

GZGuoliang ZhangHebei University of Science and Technology TLTiantian LiHebei University of Science and Technology YLYingbin LiuHebei University of Science and Technology

Key Points

The review aims to clarify the mechanisms of defect generation in silicon carbide epitaxial growth via chemical vapor deposition and identify methods to reduce these defects.
Analyzed thermodynamic and nonequilibrium growth conditions
Examined mechanisms of defect formation such as surface reaction kinetics
Discussed substrate engineering techniques for defect suppression
Optimized growth parameters like temperature and gas composition
Proposed post-treatment methods for defect reduction
Identified key defect types that impede device performance, including threading dislocations and stacking faults.
Presented practical strategies for optimizing substrate design and growth conditions.
Outlined future directions for creating low-defect-density silicon carbide materials suitable for high-voltage applications.

Abstract

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is a key technology for producing silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers used in high-performance power devices. Defects in the epitaxial wafers, such as triangular, threading dislocations (TDs); basal plane dislocations (BPDs); and stacking faults (SFs), are considered the critical bottleneck determining device performance and long-term reliability. This review aims to systematically elucidate the fundamental physical and chemical principles underlying defect generation during epitaxial growth of SiC by CVD and provide a comprehensive assessment of corresponding defect reduction strategies. Starting from the essential condition of thermodynamic growth, we analyze the main mechanisms of defect formation, including nonequilibrium kinetics, surface reaction kinetics, and the inheritance of substrate defects. Emphasis is placed on discussing the mechanisms and methods for suppressing defect formation through substrate engineering (off-angle design and surface pretreatment), precise control of the growth parameters (C/Si ratio, temperature, gas composition, and so on), as well as advanced post-treatment techniques. This leads to the proposal of practical strategies focusing on substrate engineering and growth parameter optimization toward practical application. Finally, we summarize the inspection techniques and outline future research directions toward intrinsic low-defect-density SiC epitaxial materials for high-voltage applications.

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