Influence of Carbon Transport Kinetics on Solution Growth of β-Silicon Carbide Crystals

Twinned β‐silicon carbide platelets with a (111) habit were grown from the walls of graphite crucibles in liquid silicon solutions with carbon concentrations below 0.1 a/o (atomic per cent). The observed crystal growth effects resulting from increasing the carbon solute transport rate by stirring the solution are described and correlated with boundary layer theory. Both forward growth of platelets into the solution and lateral growth of platelets were accelerated by stirring. However, crystal growth in the forward direction was eventually limited by a boundary layer region, beyond which the solution was no longer supersaturated. Because of the decrease in boundary layer thickness with increasing stirring speed, the terminal lengths of silicon carbide platelets decrease with increasing stirring speed.