Single Crystal Silicon Carbide

Silicon carbide (SiC) is an extremely hard chemical compound of silicon and carbon that occurs naturally as moissanite mineral, though large-scale production began in 1893 for use as an abrasive material and in applications requiring extreme durability such as car brakes and bulletproof vests.

Physical Vapor Transport Growth Technology has enabled the production of high quality micropipe-free 4-inch n-type SiC substrates1. However, further reduction of extended defects remains crucial to improving device performance and reliability.

Fyzikálne vlastnosti

Silicon carbide (SiC) is an IV-IV covalent compound semiconductor material composed of silicon and carbon in an equal ratio forming four covalent bonds between each Si and Carbon atom.

SiC’s wide bandgap enables it to operate effectively at high temperatures and voltages, making it suitable for power electronics devices. Furthermore, its thermal conductivity, stability, and hardness make it an excellent choice for heat sinks and substrates in electronic devices, helping dissipate heat more effectively than alternative materials.

SiC’s physical properties provide for high precision and uniformity when fabricating devices such as light-emitting diodes and lasers, as well as abrasive and cutting tools. SiC also plays an essential part in the manufacturing of telescope mirrors due to its low thermal expansion coefficient and rigidity; its low thermal expansion coefficient withstands high temperatures while radiation protects it. Finally, SiC demonstrates excellent corrosion resistance against acid, alkali and oxidative environments.

Chemical Properties

Silicon carbide is a remarkable compound with unique chemical and physical properties that make it an invaluable choice for industries requiring durable components that can withstand extreme environments.

SiC is composed of tightly bound silicon and carbon atoms bound together in an irregular hexagonal lattice structure, giving this substance its remarkable hardness, placing third on Mohs scale behind diamond and boron carbide.

These features also make this material exceptionally durable: its high thermal conductivity withstands extreme temperatures while its ability to retain its shape under stress remains undiminished, and it has a low coefficient of thermal expansion that helps minimize dimension changes during temperature fluctuations.

SiC’s crystalline structure also permits protective coatings to form on it to safeguard it against chemical reactions that would lead to degradation. Due to this resistance to corrosion, SiC makes an excellent material choice for applications requiring long-term performance in harsh operating environments as well as withstanding heavy mechanical stress or pressures.

Mechanické vlastnosti

Silicon carbide, also referred to as corundum or carborundum, is an inorganic chemical compound composed of silicon and carbon that forms wide bandgap semiconductors with nitrogen or phosphorus doping for n-type silicon carbide, or with boron or aluminium doping for p-type.

Silicon carbide stands out among materials due to its close-packed structure of Si and C atoms, making it extremely strong. One of the hardest substances on Earth, silicon carbide also boasts a high melting point and exceptional thermal conductivity properties.

Silicon carbide’s rigidity and low thermal expansion coefficient have made it a desirable material for telescope mirrors such as Herschel Space Telescope. Other uses of single-crystal silicon carbide include car brakes and clutches, ceramic plates in bulletproof vests, synthetic moissanite production, single crystal silicon carbide’s significantly longer transition depth between ductile-brittle transition to fracture, as well as scratch morphology characteristics during machining of Si and C planes during FIB SEM analysis.

Elektrické vlastnosti

Electrical properties of single crystal silicon carbide have been the subject of extensive worldwide research, as they play an essential role in creating high-performance electronic devices with wide bandgap capabilities.

There has been an explosion of techniques developed for measuring carrier concentration and resistivity of SiC wafers. These characterization techniques can detect all impurities present within them. To measure these parameters symmetrically across lateral or cross-sectional areas using electrical scanning probe techniques or contactless resistivity mapper tools.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is an inorganic solid made up of silicon and carbon in a stoichiometric ratio, formed as an elemental compound known as moissanite gemstone, produced through the Lely process and used as an abrasive, as well as for use in electronic devices and as part of electronic manufacturing processes. Silicon carbide stands as one of the hardest natural materials with superior wear resistance, strength and thermal conductivity properties compared to similar materials found elsewhere.