The Nucleation and Propagation of Threading Dislocations with c-component of Burgers Vector in PVT-Grown 4H-SiC

Studies of threading dislocations with Burgers vector of c+a have been carried out using synchrotron white beam X-ray topography. The nucleation and propagation of pairs of opposite sign threading c+a dislocations is observed. Overgrowth of inclusions by growth steps leads to lattice closure failure and the stresses associated with this can be relaxed by the nucleation of opposite sign pairs of dislocations with Burgers vector c+a. Once these dislocations are nucleated they propagate along the c-axis growth direction, or can be deflected onto the basal plane by overgrowth of macrosteps. For the c+a dislocations, partial deflection can occasionally occur, e.g. the a-component deflects onto basal plane while the c-component continuously propagates along the growth direction. One factor controlling the details of these deflection processes is suggested to be related to the ratio between the height of the overgrowing macrostep and that of the surface spiral hillock associated with the threading growth dislocations with c-component of Burgers vector.