A key aspect to the success of the Large Tapered Crystal (LTC) growth concept is the ability to produce a single crystal 4H-SiC fiber of sufficient size (100-300um) to allow for lateral expansion by CVD. This innovation seeks to combine elements of vapor liquid solid (VLS) growth with NASA patentted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth processes to realize single crystal 4H-SiC fibers ideally containing a single screw dislocation.

The ability to create large diameter single crystals fibers that could be exploited for the development of the LTC SiC growth process would be the primary focus. Alternatively, single crystal SiC fibers have the potential to unlock a whole new generation of harsh environment nano-scale sensors and electronics.