A method of producing a monocrystalline 4H—SiC semi-finished product with improved mechanical robustness against cleavage, the monocrystalline 4H—SiC semi-finished product having a longitudinal axis and a at least partially curved lateral surface that is parallel to said longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
- performing a process of setting a predetermined orientation of the 4H—SiC crystal structure with respect to said longitudinal axis such that at each position on the lateral surface of the 4H—SiC semi-finished product there is a line segment which is intersected by at least a predetermined minimum number of parallel cleavage planes of the {1010} form per unit length,
- wherein said line segment is defined by a tangent plane to the lateral surface at said position.