Annealing induced extended defects in as-grown and ion-implanted 4H–SiC epitaxial layers

The formation of extended defects in the 4H–SiC epilayer induced by the implantation/annealing process was investigated using synchrotron reflection x-ray topography, KOH etching analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. High temperature annealing was performed for the 4H–SiC epilayer with or without the implantation of nitrogen or aluminum ions. Other than the formation of platelet extrinsic Frank-type faults in the implanted region as reported previously, we find the formation modes of extended defects in following three categories: (i) dislocation formation near the epilayer/substrate interface, (ii) dislocation formation near the implanted region, and (iii) the formation of Shockley-type defects near the surface. The defect morphology and process dependence of each type are also discussed.