Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
Large (15mm diameter) single-crystal AlN boules have been prepared using sublimationrecondensation growth. X-ray topography shows that the dislocation density averages less than 103 cm2 in some of the substrates but also that the dislocations are not uniformly distributed. Also, strain due to the differential expansion with the crucible walls seems to cause severe cracking in the periphery of the crystal and high-strain regions. Thermal analysis using the Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) reveals a thermal conductivity of 3.4 ± 0.2 W/K-cm, which is the largest value ever reported for AlN.