THERMAL-STABILITY OF STACKING-FAULTS IN B ETA-SIC SPECIMENS

Stacking faults in SiC are one of the important factors in treat SiC, since they affect physical and chemical properties. Ultra-pure beta-Si C specimens with stacking faults were annealed at various temperatures for various duration in an Ar atmosphere under a condition without gr ain growth. Stacking faults decreased in two steps by heat treatment c haracterized by fast decrease and by slow decrease, respectively. The apparent activation energy for the former was estimated to be 182 kJ/m ol and that for the latter was estimated to be 260 kJ/mol. The value o f the latter corresponded to the activation energy for migration of ca rbon atoms in beta-SiC. It was also observed that lattice strain decre ased with decreasing stacking faults.