Research database

This targeted energy delivery allows for efficient defect recovery in the critical near-surface region without the need for extensive bulk heating. By precisely controlling the laser parameters, such as wavelength, power density, and scan speed, the annealing process can be optimized to effectively reduce or eliminate surface and near-surface defects, including dislocations, stacking faults, and point defects, which can subsequently propagate into the epitaxial layer and degrade device performance. The primary advantage of this localized laser annealing approach lies in its potential to significantly improve the quality of 4H-SiC wafers, leading to higher yields and reduced waste in semiconductor production. By addressing defects at the substrate level before epitaxial growth, the formation of detrimental defects in the active device layers can be minimized. This research will involve the design and optimization of the laser annealing process parameters, followed by thorough characterization of the treated 4H-SiC wafer substrates using characterization techniques to assess the improvement in crystallinity and the reduction of defect density.