Synchrotron X-ray topography studies of the propagation and post-growth mutual interaction of threading growth dislocations with C-component of Burgers vector in PVT-Grown 4H-SiC

Synchrotron White Beam X-ray Topography (SWBXT) imaging of wafers cut parallel to the growth axis from 4H-SiC boules grown using Physical Vapor Transport has enabled visualization of the evolution of the defect microstructure. Here we present observations of the propagation and post-growth mutual interaction of threading growth dislocations with C-component of Burgers vector. Detailed contrast extinction studies reveal the presence of two types of such dislocations: pure C-axis screw dislocations and those with Burgers Vector n₁c+n₂a [1], where n₁ is equal to 1 and n ₂ is equal to 1 or 2. In addition, observations of dislocation propagation show that some of the threading dislocations with C-component of Burgers adopt a curved, slightly helical morphology which can drive the dislocations from adjacent nucleation sites together enabling them to respond to the inter-dislocation forces and react. Since all of the dislocations exhibiting such helical configurations have significant screw component, and in view of the fact that such dislocations are typically not observed to glide, it is believed that such morphologies result in large part from the interaction of a non-equilibrium concentration of vacancies with the originally approximately straight dislocation cores behind growth front. Such interactions can lead to complete or partial Burgers vector annihilation. Among the reactions observed are: (a) the reaction between opposite-sign threading screw dislocations with Burgers vectors c and -c wherein some segments annihilate leaving others in the form of trails of stranded loops comprising closed dislocation dipoles; (b) the reaction between threading dislocations with Burgers vectors of -c+a and c+a wherein the opposite c-components annihilate leaving behind the two a-components; (c) the similar reaction between threading dislocations with Burgers vectors of -c and c+a leaving behind the a-component.