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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope
Published on: May 28, 2016
Nanoscale Infrared Spectroscopic Characterization of Extended Defects in 4H-Silicon Carbide
Scott G Criswell1,2, Nadeemullah A Mahadik3, James C Gallagher3
1Department of Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, 2400 Highland Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States.
Abstract:
Extended defects in wide-bandgap semiconductors have been widely investigated using techniques providing either spectroscopic or microscopic information. Nano-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (nano-FTIR) is a nondestructive characterization method combining FTIR with nanoscale spatial resolution (∼20 nm) and topographic information. Here, we demonstrate the capability of nano-FTIR for the characterization of extended defects in semiconductors by investigating an in-grown stacking fault (IGSF) present in a 4H-SiC epitaxial layer. We observe a local spectral shift of the mid-infrared near-field response, consistent with the identification of the defect stacking order as 3C-SiC (cubic) from comparative simulations based on the finite dipole model (FDM). This 3C-SiC IGSF contrasts with the more typical 8H-SiC IGSFs reported previously and is exemplary in showing that nanoscale spectroscopy with nano-FTIR can provide new insights into the properties of extended defects, the understanding of which is crucial for mitigating deleterious effects of such defects in alternative semiconductor materials and devices.
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