Damage Relaxation Pre-Activation Anneal in Al-Implanted SiC

The effect of pre-activation annealing on the final surface morphology of the Al implanted 4H-SiC has been investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The implanted Sic was annealed in dual steps; the pre-activation annealing which was done at 1100similar to1500degreesC earlier, and the activation one subsequently done at 1600degreesC. The implanted Sic showed the well-developed macrosteps after the activation annealing, while the unimplanted ones showed smoother surfaces. The pre-activation annealing at 1400degreesC was very effective to reduce the macrostep formation during the activation annealing. The surface damage induced from the ion implantation has been relaxed during the pre-activation annealing, which seemed to suppress the macrostep formation on the surface of sic.