IP Library Granted Patent US 9,777,403
Granted Patent B2
US 9,777,403 · App. 12/998,357 · Granted Oct 3, 2017

Single-crystal silicon carbide and single-crystal silicon carbide wafer

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,777,403
App. No.
12/998,357
Granted
Oct 3, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A single-crystal silicon carbide and a single-crystal silicon carbide wafer of good-quality are disclosed that are low in dislocations, micropipes and other crystal defects and enable high yield and high performance when applied to a device, wherein the ratio of doping element concentrations on opposite sides in the direction of crystal growth of the interface between the seed crystal and the grown crystal is 5 or less and the doping element concentration of the grown crystal in the vicinity of the seed crystal is 2×10 19 cm −3 to 6×10 20 cm −3 .

Claims (13)

1. A single-crystal silicon carbide manufactured by the modified Lely process, comprising:

a seed crystal, wherein nitrogen concentration of the seed crystal is greater than 1×10 19 cm −3 ; and

a grown crystal grown on the seed crystal, wherein doping element concentration of the grown crystal at least in a region in the vicinity of the seed crystal is 2×10 19 cm −3 to 6×10 20 cm −3 and a ratio of higher to lower doping element concentrations on opposite sides of an interface between the seed crystal and the grown crystal (concentration of high concentration side crystal/concentration of low concentration side crystal) is from 1.05 to 5.

2. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein the region in the vicinity of the seed crystal is a region of 0.5 mm or less thickness on the grown crystal side of the interface between the seed crystal and the grown crystal.

3. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of higher to lower doping element concentrations is from 1.05 to 2.

4. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of higher to lower doping element concentrations is from 1.05 to 1.5.

5. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein the doping element concentration of the grown crystal in a region in the vicinity of the seed crystal is 5×10 19 cm −3 to 6×10 20 cm −3 .

6. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein the doping element concentration of the grown crystal in a region in the vicinity of the seed crystal is 1×10 20 cm −3 to 6×10 20 cm −3 .

7. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein the doping element is nitrogen.

8. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein the principal polytype is 4H.

9. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein total etch pit density caused by all types of dislocation observed in a wafer of an off-angle of 8° from the {0001} plane made from grown crystal excluding a region in the vicinity of the seed crystal is 1×10 4 cm −2 or less and the micropipe density observed therein is 10 cm −2 or less.

10. A single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , wherein total etch pit density caused by all types of dislocation observed in a wafer of an off-angle of 8° from the {0001} plane made from grown crystal excluding a region in the vicinity of the seed crystal is 5×10 3 cm −2 or less and the micropipe density observed therein is 5 cm −2 or less.

11. A single-crystal silicon carbide wafer made from grown crystal excluding a region in the vicinity of the seed crystal of the single-crystal silicon carbide according to claim 1 , whose diameter is 75 mm to 300 mm and polytype other than in the edge exclusion region is 4H.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Feb 14, 2024
From: RESONAC CORPORATION
To: RESONAC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066599/0037 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
To: RESONAC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064082/0513 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2018
From: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
To: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
Reel/Frame 045991/0704 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 1, 2013
From: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
To: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029905/0735 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2011
From: NAKABAYASHI, MASASHI; FUJIMOTO, TATSUO; KATSUNO, MASAKAZU; TSUGE, HIROSHI
To: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026206/0284 →