Investigation of single crystal 4H-SiC growth by the Solvent–Laser Heated Floating Zone technique

• Solvent–Laser Heated Floating Zone developed to grow single crystal SiC fibers.
• Grown crystal retains 4H–SiC polytype and crystallographic direction.
• Crystal growth rates were found to be both a function of carbon concentration in the crystal growth source material and temperature.
• Solvent incorporation into the grown crystal is a function of carbon concentration in the crystal growth source material.
• Grown crystals have a significant amount of inhomogeneous strain caused by defects and solvent rich pockets of material trapped in the crystal.

The Solvent–Laser Heated Floating Zone (solvent–LHFZ) growth technique has been implemented to grow long single crystal silicon carbide (SiC) fibers. This technique combines the long fiber growth ability of laser heated floating zone with crystal growth by traveling solvent method׳s ability to grow single crystal SiC. This paper presents a complete look at the initial SiC growth study by solvent–LHFZ. This study shows that solvent–LHFZ readily grows single crystal SiC, growth rates are a function of both growth temperature and carbon concentration in the crystal growth source material, solvent incorporation is a function of carbon concentration in the crystal growth source material, and that an ordered growth front must be achieved in order to grow a long single crystal SiC fiber.