TY - JOUR
T1 - Experimental and Physics-Based Study of the Schottky Barrier Height Inhomogeneity and Associated Traps Affecting 3C-SiC-on-Si Schottky Barrier Diodes
AU - Arvanitopoulos, Anastasios
AU - Li, Fan
AU - Jennings, Mike R.
AU - Perkins, Samuel
AU - Gyftakis, Konstantinos
AU - Mawby, Phil
AU - Antoniou, Marina
AU - Lophitis, Neophytos
N1 - Funding Information:
2021. This work has been supported by the CHALLENGE project (HORIZON The larger energy band gap of 3C-SiC allows higher doping 2020-NMBP-720827),http://www.h2020challenge.eu/).CHALLENGEisare- and thinner layers for power devices with given blocking ca-gramandRoyalSocietyDH160139.Paper2020-PEDCC-1434.R1,presentedsearchandinnovationactionfundedbytheEuropeanUnion’sHorizon2020pro- pabilities. Thus, resulting in much lower specific on-resistance, at the 2019 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Baltimore, MD, particularity for unipolar devices, like Schottky barrier diodes USA,Sep.29–Oct.3,andapprovedforpublicationintheIEEETRANSACTIONS (SBDs). Nonetheless, these diodes do not reach their full po-CommitteeoftheIEEEIndustryApplicationsSociety.(Correspondingauthor:ONINDUSTRYAPPLICATIONSbythePowerElectronicDevicesandComponents tential due to an observed excessive leakage current [12]. This Anastasios Arvanitopoulos.) deteriorates their performance in both forward and reverse bias AnastasiosArvanitopoulosandNeophytosLophitisarewiththeFacultyof conditions and hence, currently obstructs them from [email protected];[email protected]).Engineering,UniversityofNottingham,NG72RDNottingham,U.K.(e-mail: cialization. Notably, when 3C-SiC is grown on Si, various types Fan Li, Phil Mawby, and Marina Antoniou are with the School of bulk traps are formed in the epitaxial layers [13]–[17], due to of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K. (e- lattice and thermal mismatches at the heterointerface [18]. The warwick.ac.uk).mail:[email protected]; [email protected]; marina.antoniou@ electrical activity of such extended defects in 3C-SiC-on-Si, like Mike R. Jennings is with the College of Engineering, Swansea University, stacking faults (SFs) and micro-twins [19], is a major concern SA28PPSwansea,U.K.(e-mail:[email protected]). for functional power devices. The carriers tend to flow prefer-Coventry,U.K.(e-mail:[email protected]).SamuelPerkinsiswiththeFacultyofEEC,CoventryUniversity,CV15FB entially through these defects, leading to high leakages and low Konstantinos Gyftakis is with the School of Engineering, University of breakdown voltages. In [20] anti-phase boundaries (APBs) were Edinburgh,EH89YLEdinburgh,U.K.(e-mail:[email protected]). identified to be the main responsible for the enhanced leakage //doi.org/10.1109/TIA.2021.3087667.Colorversionsofoneormorefiguresinthisarticleareavailableathttps: current under reverse bias polarization and both APBs and SFs Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TIA.2021.3087667 were shown to work as preferential current paths responsible
Publisher Copyright:
© 1972-2012 IEEE.
PY - 2021/9/1
Y1 - 2021/9/1
N2 - The ability of cubic phase (3C-) silicon carbide (SiC) to grow heteroepitaxially on silicon (Si) substrates (3C-SiC-on-Si) is an enabling feature for cost-effective wide bandgap devices and homogeneous integration with Si devices. In this article, the authors evaluated 3C-SiC-on-Si Schottky barrier contacts by fabricating and testing nonfreestanding lateral Schottky barrier diodes (LSBD). To gain a deep physical insight of the complex carrier transport phenomena that take place in this material, advanced technology computer aided design (TCAD) models were developed that allowed accurately matching of measurements with simulations. The models incorporate the device geometry, an accurate representation of the bulk material properties, and complex trapping/de-trapping and tunneling phenomena that appear to affect the device performance. The observed nonuniformities of the Schottky barrier height (SBH) were successfully modeled through the incorporation of interfacial traps. The combination of TCAD with fabrication and measurements enabled the identification of trap profiles and pin their influence on the electrical performance of 3C-SiC-on-Si LSBD. The effect of temperature was studied by engaging the identified trap profiles and calculating the occupation distribution of electrons in 3C-SiC at elevated temperature. The investigation constitutes an imperative knowledge step towards the development of devices that take advantage of 3C-SiC material properties.
AB - The ability of cubic phase (3C-) silicon carbide (SiC) to grow heteroepitaxially on silicon (Si) substrates (3C-SiC-on-Si) is an enabling feature for cost-effective wide bandgap devices and homogeneous integration with Si devices. In this article, the authors evaluated 3C-SiC-on-Si Schottky barrier contacts by fabricating and testing nonfreestanding lateral Schottky barrier diodes (LSBD). To gain a deep physical insight of the complex carrier transport phenomena that take place in this material, advanced technology computer aided design (TCAD) models were developed that allowed accurately matching of measurements with simulations. The models incorporate the device geometry, an accurate representation of the bulk material properties, and complex trapping/de-trapping and tunneling phenomena that appear to affect the device performance. The observed nonuniformities of the Schottky barrier height (SBH) were successfully modeled through the incorporation of interfacial traps. The combination of TCAD with fabrication and measurements enabled the identification of trap profiles and pin their influence on the electrical performance of 3C-SiC-on-Si LSBD. The effect of temperature was studied by engaging the identified trap profiles and calculating the occupation distribution of electrons in 3C-SiC at elevated temperature. The investigation constitutes an imperative knowledge step towards the development of devices that take advantage of 3C-SiC material properties.
KW - Cubic phase silicon carbide on silicon (3C-SiC-on-Si)
KW - inhomogeneity
KW - Schottky contacts
KW - SiC
KW - technology computer aided design (TCAD)
KW - traps
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111062794&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/TIA.2021.3087667
DO - 10.1109/TIA.2021.3087667
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85111062794
SN - 0093-9994
VL - 57
SP - 5252
EP - 5263
JO - IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications
JF - IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications
IS - 5
M1 - 9448386
ER -