X-Ray Method for the Determination of the Polarity of SiC Crystals

Abstract

The semiconductor SiC is a polar compound. As a consequence the opposite faces of {00.1} wafers have different chemical properties and hence different etch patterns. These differences, however, give no convincing evidence as to which side is the Si side and which is the C side of a SiC single crystal. Theoretically, small differences in x-ray reflection intensities are shown to be expected from opposite crystal faces. By careful crystal surface preparation these differences could experimentally be verified. Thus the proper correlation between the Si or C face and the etch patterns has been established.