Nonlinear optical imaging of defects in cubic silicon carbide epilayers

Silicon carbide is one of the most promising materials for power electronic devices capable of operating at extreme conditions. The widespread application of silicon carbide power devices is however limited by the presence of structural defects in silicon carbide epilayers. Our experiment demonstrates that optical second harmonic generation imaging represents a viable solution for characterizing structural defects such as stacking faults, dislocations and double positioning boundaries in cubic silicon carbide layers. X-ray diffraction and optical second harmonic rotational anisotropy were used to confirm the growth of the cubic polytype, atomic force microscopy was used to support the identification of silicon carbide defects based on their distinct shape, while second harmonic generation microscopy revealed the detailed structure of the defects. Our results show that this fast and noninvasive investigation method can identify defects which appear during the crystal growth and can be used to certify areas within the silicon carbide epilayer that have optimal quality.