Structural characterization of bulk AIN single crystals grown from self-seeding and seeding by SiC substrates

Using a combination of synchrotron white beam x-ray topography (SWBXT) and high resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), the structural quality of AlN crystals grown by various sublimation-based techniques have been non-destructively analyzed. Spontaneously nucleated AlN crystals are characterized by very low defect densities but their size is small. Self-seeding results in nucleation of multiple grains of different orientations, a few of which are of good quality while most are highly strained. Using readily available commercial 4H and 6H-SiC substrates, several growth runs have been carried out using different growth conditions to obtain thick AlN layers, either attached to the seed or free-standing. While attached layers are typically cracked and highly strained, crack-free free-standing layers can be obtained by delamination or SiC decomposition. X-ray characterization reveals these crystals have good purity but moderately high defect densities.