X-ray diffraction imaging investigation of silicon carbide on insulator structures

A new process was recently developed to manufacture silicon carbide on insulator structures (SiCOI). The process consists of several steps: (i) hydrogen implantation into an oxidised SiC wafer, (ii) bonding the oxidised surface of this wafer to an oxidised silicon substrate and (iii) high temperature splitting of a thin SiC film from the SiC wafer at the depth of the maximum hydrogen concentration and further annealing of the splitted film. The defect generation occurring during this process was investigated by synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction topography, with special emphasis on to the last two steps. Various X-ray topographic techniques were used to characterise the lattice defects inside the SiC wafer, to quantify the strong lattice distortion near the edges of the splitted SiC film and to reveal SiC film regions lost during the splitting process. Moreover, we show that the strain fields of dislocations, observed in the silicon substrate after high temperature splitting and annealing of the splitted structure, induce a corresponding deformation in the thin SiC overlayer, despite the presence of the sandwiched oxide film. The defect density is much lower in the central region of the SiCOI structure.