Lattice Defects and Exfoliation Efficiency of 6H-SiC via H₂⁺ Implantation at Elevated Temperature

Silicon carbide (SiC) is an important material used in semiconductor industries and nuclear power plants. SiC wafer implanted with H ions can be cleaved inside the damaged layer after annealing, in order to facilitate the transfer of a thin SiC slice to a handling wafer. This process is known as "ion-cut" or "Smart-Cut". It is worth investigating the exfoliation efficiency and residual lattice defects in H-implanted SiC before and after annealing. In the present paper, lattice damage in the 6H-SiC implanted by H₂⁺ to a fluence of 5 × 10¹⁶ H₂⁺/cm² at 450 and 900 °C was investigated by a combination of Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Different levels of damage caused by dynamic annealing were observed by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy in the as-implanted sample. Atomic force microscopy and scanning white-light interferometry were used to observe the sample surface morphology. Surface blisters and exfoliations were observed in the sample implanted at 450 °C and then annealed at 1100 °C for 15 min, whereas surface blisters and exfoliation occurred in the sample implanted at 900 °C without further thermal treatment. This finding can be attributed to the increase in the internal pressure of platelets during high temperature implantation. The exfoliation efficiency, location, and roughness after exfoliation were investigated and possible reasons were discussed. This work provides a basis for further understanding and improving the high-efficiency "ion-cut" technology.