Hydrogen Etching of Silicon Carbide

The etch rate of SiC crystals with hydrogen was investigated as a function of the reaction temperature, the hydrogen flow velocity and the hydrogen partial pressure in the H2-Ar mixture. An etching reaction mechanism and calculated expressions for the etch rate have been developed based on thermodynamical considerations. The experimental results are well explained from the approximate expression at the etch rate region higher than about 3 µ/min.