Large area SiC epitaxial layer growth in a warm-wall planetary VPE reactor

Experimental results are presented for SiC epitaxial layer growths employing a large-area, 7x3-inch, warm-wall planetary SiC-VPE reactor. This high-throughput reactor has been optimized for the growth of uniform 0.01 to 30-micron thick, specular, device-quality SiC epitaxial layers with background doping concentrations Of < 1x10(14) cm(-3). Multi-layer device profiles such as Schottky, MESFETs, SITs, and BJTs with n-type doping from ∼ 1x10(15) cm(-3) to > 1x10(19) cm(-3), p-type doping from ∼ 3x10(15) cm(-3) to > 1x10(20) cm(-3), and abrupt doping transitions (∼ 1 decade/nm) are regularly grown in continuous growth runs. Intrawafer layer thickness and n-type doping uniformities of < 1% and < 5% σ/mean have been achieved. Within a run, wafer-to-wafer thickness and doping variation are ∼± 1% and ∼± 5% respectively. Long term run-to-run variations while under process control are approximately ∼ 3% σ/mean for thickness and ∼ 5% σ/mean for doping. Latest results from an even larger 6x4-inch (100-mm) reactor are also presented.