(Invited) Controlling the Carbon Vacancy in 4H-SiC by Thermal Processing. (23rd July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ayedh, Hussein M.; Baathen, Marianne E.; Galeckas, Augustinas; Hassan, Jawad Ul; Bergman, J. P.; Nipoti, Roberta; Hallen, Anders; Svensson, Bengt G
• Is Part Of: ECS transactions. Volume 86:Number 12(2018)
• Page Start: 91
• Page End: 97
• Publication Date: 2018-07-23
• Subjects: Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; Electrochemistry; Periodicals; Electronic journals; Electronic journal; 541.37
• DOI: 10.1149/08612.0091ecst
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1938-5862

Abstract

Abstract : The carbon vacancy (VC ) is perhaps the most prominent point defect in silicon carbide (SiC) and it is an efficient charge carrier lifetime killer in high-purity epitaxial layers of 4H-SiC. The VC concentration needs to be controlled and minimized for optimum materials and device performance, and an approach based on post-growth thermal processing under C-rich ambient conditions is presented. It utilizes thermodynamic equilibration and after heat treatment at 1500 °C for 1 h, the VC concentration is shown to be reduced by a factor ~25 relative to that in as-grown state-of-the-art epi-layers. Concurrently, a considerable enhancement of the carrier lifetime occurs throughout the whole of >40 µm thick epi-layers.