Liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) of silicon carbide

Claim 1

A method for making highly pure cubic SiC devices that is highly controllable and reproducible comprising the steps of: preparing a preform comprising a layer of high purity Si on which a layer of cubic SiC has been deposited; transferring the preform to a furnace containing a molten bath of Si saturated with SiC at a temperature of between 1600°-1800° C., the saturation being insured by the use of a crucible made of carbons as a container for the Si; dipping the Si-SiC preform into the molten bath and allowing deposition of more cubic SiC on the SiC layer by reducing the temperature in the region of the preform in relation to the rest of the molten bath by some 20°-50° C.; removing the cubic SiC layer with additional cubic SiC deposited on it from the molten bath.

Claim 2

A method for making highly pure cubic SiC devices that is highly controllable and reproducible comprising the steps of: preparing a preform comprising a layer of high purity Si on which a layer of cubic SiC has been deposited; transferring the preform to a furnace containing a molten bath of Si saturated with SiC at a temperature of between 1600°-1800° C., the saturation being insured by the use of a crucible made of carbons as a container for the Si; dipping the Si-SiC preform into the molten bath and allowing deposition of more cubic SiC on the SiC layer by reducing the temperature in the region of the preform in relation to the rest of the molten bath by some 20°-50° C.; removing the cubic SiC layer with additional cubic SiC deposited on it from the molten bath.

Claim 9

A method for making highly pure cubic SiC devices that is highly controllable and reproducible comprising the steps of: preparing a two-layer preform consisting of a layer of high purity Si in contact with a layer of cubic SiC having a P-type dopant; transferring the preform to a furnace containing a molten bath of pure Si saturated with SiC and an N-type dopant at a temperature of between 1600°-1800° C., the SiC saturation being insured by the use of a high purity graphite crucible for container of the pure Si, said N-type dopant being a fraction of 1% of the total molten bath; dipping the preform into the molten bath and allowing deposition of one more cubic SiC layers by reducing the temperature of the preform in relation to the rest of the molten bath by some 20°-60° C.; removing the cubic SiC structure thus formed from the molten bath; eliminating any Si adhering to the surface of the cubic SiC layer after removal thereof from the molten bath; and repeating the above steps starting from the transferring step with the molten bath now containing a P-type dopant in an amount no greater than 1% of the total molten Si by weight in order to create SiC homojunctions.

Claim 10

A method for making highly pure cubic SiC devices that is highly controllable and reproducible comprising the steps of: preparing a two-layer preform consisting of a layer of high purity Si in contact with a layer of cubic SiC having a P-type dopant; transferring the preform to a furnace containing a molten bath of pure Si saturated with SiC and an N-type dopant at a temperature of between 1600°-1800° C., the SiC saturation being insured by the use of a high purity graphite crucible for container of the pure Si, said N-type dopant being a fraction of 1% of the total molten bath; dipping the preform into the molten bath and allowing deposition of one more cubic SiC layers by reducing the temperature of the preform in relation to the rest of the molten bath by some 20°-60° C.; removing the cubic SiC structure thus formed from the molten bath; eliminating any Si adhering to the surface of the cubic SiC layer after removal thereof from the molten bath; and repeating the above steps starting from the transferring step with the molten bath now containing a P-type dopant in an amount no greater than 1% of the total molten Si by weight in order to create SiC homojunctions.

Claim 14

A method for making highly pure cubic SiC devices that is highly controllable and reproducible comprising the steps of: preparing a preform consisting of a layer of high purity Si on which a layer of cubic SiC has been deposited by CVD; transferring the preform to a furnace containing a molten bath of Si saturated with SiC and a P-type dopant at a temperature of between 1600°-1800° C., the saturation being insured by the use of a container of high purity graphite crucible for the Si, said P-type dopant being no greater than 1% of the total molten Si; dipping the Si-SiC preform into the molten bath and allowing deposition of more cubic SiC on the SiC layer by reducing the temperature of the already formed cubic SiC layer from the preparing step in relation to the rest of the molten bath; removing the cubic SiC structure so obtained, from the molten bath; eliminating any Si adhering to the surface of the cubic SiC layer after removal thereof from the molten bath; and repeating the above steps starting from the transferring step with the molten bath now containing an N-type dopant in an amount no greater than 1% of the total molten Si in order to create SiC homojunctions.

Claim 15

A method for making highly pure cubic SiC devices that is highly controllable and reproducible comprising the steps of: preparing a preform consisting of a layer of high purity Si on which a layer of cubic SiC has been deposited by CVD; transferring the preform to a furnace containing a molten bath of Si saturated with SiC and a P-type dopant at a temperature of between 1600°-1800° C., the saturation being insured by the use of a container of high purity graphite crucible for the Si, said P-type dopant being no greater than 1% of the total molten Si; dipping the Si-SiC preform into the molten bath and allowing deposition of more cubic SiC on the SiC layer by reducing the temperature of the already formed cubic SiC layer from the preparing step in relation to the rest of the molten bath; removing the cubic SiC structure so obtained, from the molten bath; eliminating any Si adhering to the surface of the cubic SiC layer after removal thereof from the molten bath; and repeating the above steps starting from the transferring step with the molten bath now containing an N-type dopant in an amount no greater than 1% of the total molten Si in order to create SiC homojunctions.