Abstract
By a vapor−liquid−solid (VLS) mechanism, where a Ge−Si melt is fed by propane, 3C-SiC layers of 1.4 μm thickness were grown on 6H-SiC on-axis substrates. These layers were found to be single domain as seen from morphological and electron backscattering diffraction observations. They were free of any hexagonal inclusion. Both transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction show the high crystalline quality of the grown material. Nitrogen was found to be the main impurity, at a concentration of (6−7) × 1017 cm-3 as estimated by Raman spectroscopy, though Al contamination was also detected by low-temperature photoluminescence. The identification and the quantification of Ge incorporation inside the SiC layers were determined by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). The Ge concentration was calculated to be 5 × 1018 atoms/cm3.