Recent Progress in Preparation of Single Crystal 3C-SiC

doi:10.15541/jim20250081

Abstract

Abstract: Silicon carbide (SiC), as a representative wide bandgap semiconductor material, has increasingly demonstrated its significance in high-power, high-frequency, and high-temperature electronic device applications. In recent years, SiC semiconductors have become the primary material for power devices in electric drive modules and charging modules of new energy vehicles. Compared to Si-based Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), which are minority carrier devices, SiC materials enable high-voltage resistance through majority carrier devices (such as Schottky Barrier Diodes and MOSFETs) with high-frequency device structures. This allows SiC to simultaneously achieve the three key characteristics of high voltage resistance, low on-resistance, and high frequency. In the future, SiC will also play an indispensable role in emerging fields such as electric aircraft and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles in low-altitude transportation, augmented reality (AR), photovoltaic inverters, and rail transportation. Among the various SiC polytypes, 3C-SiC stands out due to its unique cubic crystal structure, higher thermal conductivity (500 W/(m·K)), and channel mobility (approximately 300 cm²/(V·s)), showcasing significant application potential and research value. This paper provides an overview of the crystal structure, fundamental physical properties, application advantages, and major growth methods of 3C-SiC, including Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Continuous-Feed Physical Vapor Transport (CF-PVT), Sublimation Epitaxy (SE), and Top-Seeded Solution Growth (TSSG). The research progress and latest achievements in 3C-SiC crystal growth using these techniques are reviewed, with a focus on the thermodynamic characteristics and growth mechanisms of vapor-phase and liquid-phase methods. The microscopic processes of crystal growth are analyzed and summarized, and future development directions and application prospects for 3C-SiC crystals are discussed.

Key words: wide bandgap semiconductor, 3C-SiC single crystal, crystal growth, micro-mechanism, review

CLC Number:

TQ174

XU Jintao, GAO Pan, HE Weiyi, JIANG Shengnan, PAN Xiuhong, TANG Meibo, CHEN Kun, LIU Xuechao. Recent Progress in Preparation of Single Crystal 3C-SiC[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, DOI: 10.15541/jim20250081.

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