Growth of cubic silicon carbide crystals from solution

Cubic-silicon carbide crystals have been grown from solution by using the traveling-zone method. In this technique a molten silicon zone heated by induction coils is held between two rods of polycrystalline silicon carbide. Due to the growth set-up and boundary conditions, different mass transfer mechanisms are operative : diffusion, buoyancy, Marangoni convection and forced convection. The growth experiments have been performed on various seed crystals. Cubic SiC crystals were grown with a [111] habit on the [0001] silicon faces of 4H SiC seeds. The polytype 3C-SiC was identified by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Micro Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence analyses showed good crystalline quality with few 6H inclusions.