Growth of 6H-SIC crystals along the [011¯5] direction

We have investigated bulk growth of 6H-SiC crystals along the [011¯5] direction. The (011¯5) facet was obtained in a natural way during growth experiments using close-to-equilibrium conditions which facilitate facets appearance. Seeded growth using (011¯5)-oriented seeds was demonstrated. The occurrence of the (011¯5) facet depended strongly on the thermal field geometry. When tailoring a flat thermal field a big facet of 15 mm in diameter was obtained. Hollow micropipe defects propagating along the c-axis of the seed were vanished in the grown crystal leading to a completely micropipe-free region. Polytype information seemed to be transmitted along the c-axis whereas hollow cores propagated along the usual growth direction due to voids migration. Growth along the [011¯5] direction is considered to be very promising for preparation of micropipe-free SiC crystals.