Effects of Post-Thermal Treatment on Quality of SiC Grown by PVT Method

We report the effects of post-thermal treatment on the quality of 2-inch 6H-SiC wafer cut from a crystal boule grown by physical vapour transportation method. The full widths at half maximum of x-ray diffraction rocking curves measured on sites across the 2-inch wafer become narrower, indicating the quality improvement after a three-step post-thermal treatment. It is found that the most common defects such as micropipes and inclusions can be significantly reduced after the treatment. Our results show that the post-thermal treatment is an effective route to improve the quality of SiC single crystals.