A silicon carbide crystal includes a seed layer, a bulk layer, and a stress buffering structure formed between the seed layer and the bulk layer. The seed layer, the bulk layer, and the stress buffering structure are each formed with a dopant that cycles between high and low dopant concentration. The stress buffering structure includes a plurality of stacked buffer layers and a transition layer over the buffer layers. The buffer layer closest to the seed layer has the same variation trend of the dopant concentration as the buffer layer closest to the transition layer, and the dopant concentration of the transition layer is equal to the dopant concentration of the seed layer.

A system for simultaneously manufacturing more than one single crystal of a semiconductor material by physical vapor transport (PVT) includes a plurality of reactors and a common vacuum channel connecting at least a pair of reactors of the plurality of reactors. Each reactor has an inner chamber adapted to accommodate a PVT growth structure for growth of a single semiconductor crystal. The common vacuum channel is connectable to a vacuum pump system for creating and/or controlling a common gas phase condition in the inner chambers of the pair of reactors.

A manufacturing method for a group-III nitride crystal, the manufacturing method includes: preparing a seed substrate; increasing temperature of the seed substrate placed in a nurturing chamber; and supplying a group-III element oxide gas produced in a raw material chamber connected to the nurturing chamber by a connecting pipe and a nitrogen element-containing gas into the nurturing chamber to grow a group-III nitride crystal on the seed substrate, wherein a flow amount y of a carrier gas supplied into the raw material chamber at the temperature increase step satisfies following two relational equations (I) and (II), y<[1−k*H(Ts)]/[k*H(Ts)−j*H(Tg)]j*H(Tg)*t (I), y≥1.58*10.sup.−4*(22.4/28)S*F(N)/F(T) (II), wherein k represents an arrival rate to a saturated vapor pressure of a group-III element in the raw material chamber, Ts represents a temperature of the raw material chamber, Tg represents a temperature of the nurturing chamber, H(Ts) represents a saturated vapor pressure of the group-III element at the temperature Ts in the raw material chamber, H(Tg) represents a saturated vapor pressure of the group-III element at the temperature Tg in the nurturing chamber, j represents a corrective coefficient, t represents a sum of gas flow amounts flowing into the nurturing chamber from those other than the raw material chamber, S represents a cross-sectional area of the connecting pipe, F(N) represents a volumetric flow amount of the nitrogen element-containing gas supplied into the nurturing chamber, and F(T) represents a sum of volumetric flow amounts of gases supplied into the nurturing chamber from those other than the raw material chamber.

Silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, SiC boules, and related methods are disclosed that provide improved dislocation distributions. SiC boules are provided that demonstrate reduced dislocation densities and improved dislocation uniformity across longer boule lengths. Corresponding SiC wafers include reduced total dislocation density (TDD) values and improved TDD radial uniformity. Growth conditions for SiC crystalline materials include providing source materials in oversaturated quantities where amounts of the source materials present during growth are significantly higher than what would typically be required. Such SiC crystalline materials and related methods are suitable for providing large diameter SiC boules and corresponding SiC wafers with improved crystalline quality.

A method of single crystal growth includes disposing a polycrystalline source material in a chamber of a single crystal growth apparatus, disposing a seed layer in the chamber of the single crystal growth apparatus, wherein the seed layer is fixed below a lid of the single crystal growth apparatus, heating the polycrystalline source material by a heater of the single crystal growth apparatus to deposit a semiconductor material layer on the seed layer, and after depositing the semiconductor material layer, providing a coolant gas at a backside of the lid to cool down the seed layer and the semiconductor material layer.

A method for simultaneously manufacturing more than one single crystal of a semiconductor material by physical vapor transport (PVT) includes connecting a pair of reactors to a vacuum pump system by a common vacuum channel and creating and/or controlling, with the vacuum pump system, a common gas phase condition in the inner chambers of the pair of reactors. Each reactor has an inner chamber adapted to accommodate a PVT growth structure for growth of a semiconductor single crystal.

A silicon carbide single crystal has a first main surface, a second main surface, a first silicon carbide region, and a second silicon carbide region. The first silicon carbide region and the second silicon carbide region each include a silicon carbide single crystal of 4H polytype. A value obtained by dividing the number of void defects in the first silicon carbide region by the sum of the number of the void defects in the first silicon carbide region and the number of void defects in the second silicon carbide region is 0.8 or more. In a cross section parallel to the first main surface, the void defect each have a major axis of 1 μm to 1000 μm.

A method of growing a semi-insulating SiC single crystal ingot, the method comprising the steps of: (1) placing a dopant coated with silicon carbide (SiC) and a carbon-based material into a reaction vessel containing a seed crystal fixed thereto; and (2) growing a SiC single crystal on the seed crystal, thereby yielding a high-quality semi-insulating SiC single crystal ingot with a uniform thickness-based doping concentration. In addition, another embodiment relates to a method of growing a semi-insulating silicon carbide single crystal ingot, the method comprising the steps of: (a) placing in a reaction vessel, a composition comprising a carbon-containing polymer resin, a solvent, a dopant, and silicon carbide (SiC); (b) solidifying the composition; and (c) growing a SiC single crystal ingot on a seed crystal fixed to the reaction vessel, thereby yielding a high-quality semi-insulating SiC single crystal ingot with a uniform thickness-based doping concentration.

A superconducting article includes a substrate and a superconducting metal oxide film formed on the substrate. The metal oxide film including ions of an alkali metal, ions of a transition metal, and ions of an alkaline earth metal or a rare earth metal. For instance, the metal oxide film can include Rb ions, La ions, and Cu ions. The superconducting metal oxide film can have a critical temperature for onset of superconductivity of greater than 250 K, e.g., greater than room temperature.

Provided is a method of enhancing silicon carbide monocrystalline growth yield, including the steps of: (A) filling a bottom of a graphite crucible with a silicon carbide raw material selected; (B) performing configuration modification on a graphite seed crystal platform; (C) fastening a silicon carbide seed crystal to the modified graphite seed crystal platform with a graphite clamping accessory; (D) placing the graphite crucible containing the silicon carbide raw material and the silicon carbide seed crystal in an inductive high-temperature furnace; (E) performing silicon carbide crystal growth process by physical vapor transport; and (F) obtaining silicon carbide monocrystalline crystals. The geometric configuration of the surface of the graphite seed crystal platform is modified to eradicate development of peripheral grain boundary.