Wafers of n-type, 6H-SiC(0001) with (ND - NA) = (5.1- 7.5) X 10(17) and 2.5X 10(18) were etched in a flowing 25%H-2/75%He mixture within the range of 1500-1640degreesC at 1 atm. Equilibrium thermodynamic calculations indicated that the presence of atomic hydrogen is necessary to achieve etching-of SiC. Atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy, and low energy electron diffraction of the etched surface revealed a faceted surface morphology with unit cell and half unit cell high steps and a I X I reconstruction. The latter sample also exhibited a much larger number of hexagonal pits on the surface. Annealing the etched samples under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) at 1030degreesC for 15 min resulted in (1) a reduction of the surface oxygen and adventitious hydrocarbons below the detection limit of Auger-electron spectroscopy, (2) a (root3 X root3)R30degrees reconstructed surface and (3) a Si-to-C peak-to-peak height ratio of 1.2. By contrast, using a chemical vapor cleaning (CVC). process consisting of an exposure to 3000 Langmuir (L) of silane at 1030degreesC for 10 min under UHV conditions resulted in a (3 X 3) surface reconstruction, a Si-to-C ratio of 3.9, and islands of excess silicon. Continued annealing of the latter material for an additional 10 min at 1030 degreesC resulted in a (1 X 1) LEED pattern with a diffuse ring. Films of AIN grown via MOCVD at a sample platter temperature of 1274 degreesC for 15 min on hydrogen etched wafers having a doping concentration of 8.7 X 10(17) cm(-3) and cleaned via annealing had a rms roughness value of approximate to0.4 nm. (C) 2003 American Vacuum Society.