Growth of unusual silicon carbide polytypes by island formation

Unusual SiC polytypic features have been studied by X-ray diffraction and chemical etching to increase understanding of their growth mechanism. The feasibility of periodic slip as a possible mode of growth of SiC polytypes has been examined. It is proposed that island formation on the helicoidal growth surface is responsible for most of the unusual SiC polytypes not explicable purely in terms of a screw-dislocation mechanism.