IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,566,344
Granted Patent B2
US 11,566,344 · App. 17/193,596 · Granted Jan 31, 2023

Silicon carbide ingot, wafer, method for producing a silicon carbide ingot, and method for manufacturing a wafer

Inventors: Jong Hwi Park (Suwon-si, KR); Jongmin Shim (Hwaseong-si, KR); Eun Su Yang (Suwon-si, KR); Yeon Sik Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Byung Kyu Jang (Suwon-si, KR); Jung Woo Choi (Suwon-si, KR); Sang Ki Ko (Suwon-si, KR); Kap-Ryeol Ku (Suwon-si, KR); Jung-Gyu Kim (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SENIC INC.
C30B29/36C30B23/025C30B33/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,566,344
App. No.
17/193,596
Granted
Jan 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wafer having relaxation moduli different by 450 GPa or less, as determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, when loaded to 1 N and 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

Claims (36)

1. A wafer comprising relaxation moduli different by 450 GPa or less, as determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, when loaded to 1 N and 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

2. The wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer comprises a creep compliance of 0.508 μm 2 /N to 0.643 μm 2 /N, as determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, when loaded to 1 N to 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

3. The wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer comprises a relaxation modulus of 1510 GPa to 1800 GPa when loaded to 1 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

4. The wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer comprises a relaxation modulus of 1800 GPa to 1960 GPa when loaded to 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

5. The wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer comprises a relaxation modulus of 1510 GPa to 1960 GPa when loaded to 1 N to 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

6. The wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer comprises a stiffness of 51.3 kN/m to 70.0 kN/m, as determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, when loaded to 1 N to 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

7. The wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer comprises a creep compliance of 0.60 μm 2 /N to 0.63 μm 2 /N when loaded to 1 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

8. The wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer comprises a creep compliance of 0.52 μm 2 /N to 0.55 μm 2 /N when loaded to 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

9. The wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer comprises a diameter of 4 inches or more and is composed of 4H silicon carbide.

10. A method for manufacturing a wafer, comprising:

arranging a raw material and a silicon carbide seed crystal to face each other in a reactor comprising an internal space;

controlling the temperature, pressure, and atmosphere of the internal space to sublimate the raw material and grow a silicon carbide ingot from the seed crystal;

cooling the reactor and recovering the silicon carbide ingot;

grinding the edge of the silicon carbide ingot; and

cutting the ground silicon carbide ingot into a wafer,

wherein the silicon carbide ingot comprises one surface and an other surface facing each other,

wherein the one surface is flat or convex,

wherein the wafer is prepared from a portion below the one surface, and

wherein the wafer comprises relaxation moduli different by 450 GPa or less, as determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, when loaded to 1 N and 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the reactor is 120 W/mK or less.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a heat insulating material surrounding an outer surface of the reactor comprises a porosity of 72% to 95%.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a heat insulating material surrounding the outer surface of the reactor comprises a compressive strength of 0.2 MPa or more.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the wafer comprises a creep compliance of 0.508 μm 2 /N to 0.643 μm 2 /N, as determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, when loaded to 1 N to 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

15. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising a flow in a direction from the raw material towards the silicon carbide seed crystal during the cooling.

16. A method of producing an ingot, comprising:

disposing a raw material and a silicon carbide seed crystal facing each other in an internal space of a reactor;

sublimating the raw material to grow a silicon carbide ingot from the seed crystal in the internal space; and

cooling the reactor and recovering the silicon carbide ingot,

wherein during the sublimating, inert gas flows in a direction from the raw material towards the silicon carbide seed crystal at a flow rate of 70 sccm or more and 330 sccm or less, and/or during the cooling inert gas flows in a direction from the raw material towards the silicon carbide seed crystal at a flow rate of 1 sccm or more and 300 sccm or less.

17. A method of manufacturing a wafer, comprising:

grinding the edge of the silicon carbide ingot of claim 16 ; and

cutting the ground silicon carbide ingot into the wafer,

wherein the wafer comprises relaxation moduli different by 450 GPa or less, as determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, when loaded to 1 N and 18 N with a loading rate of 0.1 N/min at a temperature of 25° C.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the reactor is 120 W/mK or less.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein a heat insulating material surrounding the outer surface of the reactor comprises a porosity of 72% to 95%.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein a heat insulating material surrounding the outer surface of the reactor comprises a compressive strength of 0.2 MPa or more.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2025
From: SENIC INC.
To: EIN CRYSTAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 072990/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EXECUTION DATE OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 058645 FRAME: 0149. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS.. Recorded Apr 10, 2022
From: SENIC INC.
To: SENIC INC.
Reel/Frame 059852/0027 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jan 5, 2022
From: SENIC INC.
To: SENIC INC.
Reel/Frame 058645/0149 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2021
From: SKC CO., LTD.
To: SENIC INC.
Reel/Frame 057788/0414 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2021
From: PARK, JONG HWI; SHIM, JONGMIN; YANG, EUN SU; LEE, YEON SIK; JANG, BYUNG KYU; CHOI, JUNG WOO; KO, SANG KI; KU, KAP-RYEOL; KIM, JUNG-GYU
To: SKC CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055516/0308 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0072846 · Jun 16, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210388527A1 · Dec 16, 2021