title: Driving force of stacking-fault formation in SiC p-i-n diodes.
abstract: The driving force of stacking-fault expansion in SiC p-i-n diodes was investigated using optical emission microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The stacking-fault expansion and properties of the partial dislocations were inconsistent with any stress as the driving force. A thermodynamic free energy difference between the perfect and a faulted structure is suggested as a plausible driving force in the tested diodes, indicating that hexagonal polytypes of silicon carbide are metastable at room temperature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skowronski
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sumakeris
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Paisley
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Das