Investigation of the Anisotropy of 4H-SiC Materials in Nanoindentation and Scratch Experiments

Abstract

Silicon carbide is an ideal material for advanced electronics, military, and aerospace applications due to its superior physical and chemical properties. In order to understand the effect of crystal anisotropy of 4H-SiC on its processability, nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests on various crystallographic planes and orientations were performed and the results outlined in this paper. The results show that the C-plane of 4H-SiC is more rigid, while the Si-plane is more elastic and ductile. Better surface quality may be obtained on the Si-plane in nanoscale abrasive machining. The maximum lateral force, maximum residual depth of the scratch, and maximum crack width on the C- and Si-planes of 4H-SiC are significantly periodic in crystallographic orientations at 30° intervals. The scratch along the <112¯0> direction is more prone to crack expansion, and better machined surface quality is easy to obtain along the <101¯0> directions of C- and Si-planes.

Recent Advances In Silicon Carbide Chemical Mechanical Polishing Technologies

“…Most importantly, the resulting MRRs on the 6H-SiC Si-face and C-face surfaces were equal to 6.13 nm m −1 and 13.94 nm m −1 , respectively, indicating that C-face is indeed easier to remove than Si-face [ 5 ]. In 2022, Shi et al investigated the mechanical properties of different crystal orientations on a polished 4H-SiC wafer by using the nano-indentation and nano-scratching methods [ 6 ]. It was found that a larger elastic modulus leads to less material deformation, and therefore, a harder characteristic.…”

“…In contrast, the C-face surface showed elastic modulus and hardness equal to 476.7 GPa and 37.62 GPa, respectively, at the same penetration depth. Furthermore, the residue depth of indentation was 12.22 nm on the Si-face and 25.67 nm on the C-face, indicating more elastic recovery on the Si-face [ 6 ].…”

Design and Optimization of Thermal Field for PVT Method 8-Inch SiC Crystal Growth

“…Silicon carbide (SiC) materials are believed to have revolutionized the power electronics industry [ 1 , 2 ]. Its properties, such as a wide bandgap, high-temperature stability and high thermal conductivity, will bring SiC-based power devices a series of advantages [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. In recent years, as new energy vehicle enterprises have employed SiC-based MOSFET modules for high-end vehicles, the application prospect of SiC substrate materials has again attracted extensive attention.…”