Silicon carbide epitaxial layers grown on SiC wafers with reduced micropipe density

The characteristics of SiC high-power devices are currently limited by the small area of the devices, which is usually less than 1 sq. mm. In order to increase device area, defect density in SiC epitaxial structures must be reduced. In this paper, we describe properties of silicon carbide epitaxial layers grown on 4H-SiC wafers with reduced micropipe density. These layers were grown by the vacuum sublimation method. Large area Schottky barriers (up to 8 mm(2)) were fabricated on SiC epitaxial layers and characterized.