Controlled Spalling of 4H Silicon Carbide with Investigated Spin Coherence for Quantum Engineering Integration

Abstract

We detail scientific and engineering advances which enable the controlled spalling and layer transfer of single crystal 4H silicon carbide (4H-SiC) from bulk substrates. 4H-SiC’s properties, including high thermal conductivity and a wide bandgap, make it an ideal semiconductor for power electronics. Moreover, 4H-SiC is an excellent host of solid-state atomic defect qubits for quantum computing and quantum networking. Because 4H-SiC substrates are expensive (due to long growth times and limited yield), techniques for removal and transfer of bulk-quality films are desirable for substrate reuse and integration of the separated films. In this work, we utilize updated approaches for stressor layer thickness control and spalling crack initiation to demonstrate controlled spalling of 4H-SiC, the highest fracture toughness crystal spalled to date. We achieve coherent spin control of neutral divacancy (VV⁰) qubit ensembles and measure a quasi-bulk spin T₂ of 79.7 μs in the spalled films.