Abstract:
The problem of prevention of AlN crystal layers from cracking under action of thermoelastic stresses during growth of these layers on SiC substrates has been studied. Calculation of residual thermoelastic stresses in AlN/SiC double-layer system has shown that cracking of the AlN layer during cooling is inevitable until this layer becomes at least 15 times thicker than a substrate. The required ratio of the thicknesses of the layer and the substrate can be reached by growing an AlN layer with simultaneous evaporation of the SiC substrate. Experimentally performed evaporation of SiC substrates in one process with growing AlN single layers on them using the sublimation sandwich method has made it possible to prevent these layers from cracking. Continuous (non-cracked) plates with 0.2–0.8 mm thickness without substrates have been obtained as a result of these experiments. According to X-ray images obtained in synchrotron radiation, they consist of single crystalline AlN of 2H polytype, contain dislocations, but do not contain cracks. The degree of crystallinity of these thin plates, which was estimated by the full widths at half-maximum of rocking curves of X-ray diffraction reflections, corresponds to the degree of crystallinity of thick (3–5 mm) AlN layers grown on nonevaporated SiC substrates.
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