Featuring forming methods to reduce stacking fault nucleation sites

1. A method of fabricating an epitaxial silicon carbide layer comprising:

forming a plurality of features in a surface of a silicon carbide substrate having an off-axis orientation toward a predetermined crystallographic direction, the plurality of features having a width-to-depth ratio of at least 5:1 and including at least one sidewall that is oriented nonparallel to the predetermined crystallographic direction and having a depth less than about 1 μm; and

growing the epitaxial silicon carbide layer on the surface of the silicon carbide substrate that includes the plurality of features therein.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of features comprises:

masking the surface of the silicon carbide substrate having an off-axis orientation toward a predetermined crystallographic direction; and

etching the surface of the silicon carbide substrate that is exposed by the masking to form the plurality of features in the surface of a silicon carbide substrate that is masked.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein etching comprises dry etching the surface of the silicon carbide substrate that is masked using NF 3 and/or SF 6 .

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined crystallographic direction is a <11 2 0> direction.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of features comprises forming a plurality of trenches in the surface of the silicon carbide substrate having an off-axis orientation toward a predetermined crystallographic direction, the plurality of trenches extending oblique and/or perpendicular to the predetermined crystallographic direction, having a width-to-depth ratio of at least 5:1 and including at least one sidewall that is oriented nonparallel to the predetermined crystallographic direction and having a depth less than about 1 μm.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of features comprises forming a plurality of depressions in the surface of the silicon carbide substrate having an off-axis orientation toward a predetermined crystallographic direction, having a width-to-depth ratio of at least 5:1 and including at least one sidewall that is oriented nonparallel to the predetermined crystallographic direction and having a depth less than about 1 μm.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the plurality of depressions comprises a periodically repeating pattern of hexagonal pits.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein growing the epitaxial silicon carbide layer comprises:

growing the epitaxial silicon carbide layer on the surface of the silicon carbide substrate that includes the plurality of features therein such that the epitaxial silicon carbide layer contains lower basal plane dislocation density than the silicon carbide substrate.

9. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

forming a semiconductor device in the epitaxial silicon carbide layer.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of features comprises forming a plurality of trenches in the surface of the monocrystalline substrate having an off-axis orientation toward a predetermined crystallographic direction, the plurality of trenches extending oblique and/or perpendicular to the predetermined crystallographic direction, having a width-to-depth ratio of at least 5:1 and including at least one sidewall that is oriented nonparallel to the predetermined crystallographic direction and having a depth less than about 1 μm.

11. A method of fabricating an epitaxial layer comprising:

forming a plurality of features in a surface of a monocrystalline substrate having an off-axis orientation toward a predetermined crystallographic direction, the plurality of features having a width-to-depth ratio of at least 5:1 and including at least one sidewall that is oriented nonparallel to the predetermined crystallographic direction and having a depth less than about 1 μm; and

growing the epitaxial layer on the surface of the monocrystalline substrate that includes the plurality of features therein.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein forming a plurality of features comprises:

masking the surface of the monocrystalline substrate having an off-axis orientation toward a predetermined crystallographic direction; and

etching the surface of the monocrystalline substrate that is exposed by the masking to form the plurality of features in the surface of a monocrystalline substrate that is masked.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein etching comprises dry etching the surface of the monocrystalline substrate that is masked using NF 3 and/or SF 6 .

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein the predetermined crystallographic direction is a <11 2 0> direction.

15. A method according to claim 11 wherein forming a plurality of features comprises forming a plurality of depressions in the surface of the monocrystalline substrate having an off-axis orientation toward a predetermined crystallographic direction, having a width-to-depth ratio of at least 5:1 and including at least one sidewall that is oriented nonparallel to the predetermined crystallographic direction and having a depth less than about 1 μm.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the plurality of depressions comprises a periodically repeating pattern of hexagonal pits.

17. A method according to claim 11 wherein growing the epitaxial layer comprises:

growing the epitaxial layer on the surface of the monocrystalline substrate that includes the plurality of features therein such that the epitaxial layer contains lower basal plane dislocation density than the monocrystalline substrate.

18. A method according to claim 11 further comprising:

forming a semiconductor device in the epitaxial layer.