Thermochemistry of silicon carbide growth by chemical transport reactions

Chemical Vapour Transport is a well known process widely used for the growt h of monocrystals. This paper is a thermodynamic overview of different hete rogeneous chemical systems, promising for the growth of silicon carbide by means of chemical transport reactions. The systems are Si-C-Y where Y is ox ygen or a chalcogen (S, Se) and Si-C-H-X where X is an halogen (Cl, Br, I). We studied in a first step the gas phase composition obtained from SiC etc hing with the transporting agent as a function of temperature. In a second step, we report the conditions for the formation of silicon carbide from su ch a vapour at a different temperature. Finally we discuss optimal conditio ns of temperatures and thermal gradients required for SiC transport with ea ch systems. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.