In this study, seeded sublimation growth of aluminum nitride (AlN) on SiC substrates was investigated. Large diameter (15-20 mm) and thick (1-2 mm) AlN layers were demonstrated on Si-face, 3.5 degrees off-axis 6H-SiC (0 0 0 1). A c-axis growth rate of 15-20 mu m/h was achieved at 1830 C, and the surface morphology was highly textured: step features were formed with a single facet on the top of the layer. High-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and molten KOH/NaOH etching were employed to characterize the AlN layers. The AlN crystals grew highly orientated along the c-axis, however, the impurities of Si (3-6 at %) and C (5.9-8 at %) from the SiC changed the lattice constants of AlN and shifted the AlN (00.2) 2 theta value from pure AlN toward SiC. All the growth surfaces had Al-polarity and the dislocation density decreased from 10(8) to 10(6) cm(-2) as the film thickness increased from 30 mu m to 2 mm. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.