A method of growing an epitaxial layer on a substrate is generally provided. According to the method, the substrate is heated in a chemical vapor deposition chamber to a growth temperature in the presence of a carbon source gas, then the epitaxial layer is grown on the substrate at the growth temperature, and finally the substrate is cooled in a chemical vapor deposition chamber to at least about 80% of the growth temperature in the presence of a carbon source gas. Substrates formed from this method can have a carrier lifetime between about 0.25 μs and about 9.9 μs.