Distribution and evolution of defects and lattice strain induced by H+ implantation in 4H-SiC for layer transfer processes

The silicon carbide (SiC) composite substrate, fabricated using crystal-ion-slicing (CIS) technology, exhibits outstanding performance and has potential applications in many fields. However, the damage caused by H+ implantation is the main factor that limits the performance of the materials. In this study, the longitudinal distribution of defects and lattice stress, the crystal cleavage behavior in the H+ accumulation region, and the damage recovery effect in different depths of the H+ penetration region were studied by deep ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction combined with Ar+ etching. The results indicate that in addition to the H+ accumulation region, the H+ penetration region also exhibits a relatively high defect density and lattice stress in the implanted 4H-SiC. After annealing, in the H+ penetration region, the repair effect is more pronounced near the surface, while near the H+ accumulation region, the damage recovery is less effective, and significant damage remains. Therefore, in the post-treatment process of thin films, it is essential to focus not only on the residual defects from crystal cleavage but also on the regions of high-density damage at a certain depth below the film surface. This study offers new insights for defect analysis in single-crystal thin films fabricated using CIS technology and provides a basis for their treatment and repair.