Influence of deep defects on electrical properties of Ni/4H-SiC Schottky diode

Antoniou

IEEE J. Emerg. Sel. Topics Power Electron.

et al. 2020

3C-Silicon Carbide (3C-SiC) Schottky Barrier Diodes on Silicon (Si) substrates (3C-SiC-on-Si) have been found to suffer of excessive sub-threshold current, despite the superior electrical properties of 3C-SiC. In turn, that is one of the factors deterring the commercialization of this technology. The forward Current-Voltage (I-V) characteristics in these devices carry considerable information about the material quality. In this context, an advanced Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) model is proposed and validated with measurements obtained from a fabricated and characterized Platinum/3C-SiCon-Si Schottky Barrier Diode with scope to shed light in the physical carrier transport mechanisms, the impact of traps and their characteristics on the actual device performance. The model includes defects originating from both the Schottky contact and the hetero-interface of 3C-SiC with Si, which allows the investigation of their impact on the magnification of the subthreshold current. Further, the simulation results and measured data allowed for the identification of additional distributions of interfacial states, the effect of which is linked to the observed nonuniformities of the Barrier Height value. A comprehensive characterization of the defects affecting the carrier transport mechanisms of the investigated 3C-SiC-on-Si power diode is thus achieved and the proposed TCAD model is able to accurately predict the device current both during forward and reverse bias conditions.

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Defects-Based Model on the Barrier Height Behavior in 3C-SiC-on-Si Schottky Barrier Diodes

Antoniou

IEEE J. Emerg. Sel. Topics Power Electron.

et al. 2020

“…In the literature there have been various attempts to model such features. In [24]- [26] a simplified approach assumed the contact divided in two parts, each one characterized by an independent SBH value. This introduced the concept of parallel conduction in which two or more discrete barrier heights are operating in parallel at the Metal / SiC interfaces [27]- [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is of interest that both the degradation of the electrical performance and the observed inhomogeneous of a Schottky contact have been linked with the presence of traps in fabricated SBDs [39]- [44]. However, the characterization of these traps' and their overall influence on the barrier height value of 3C-SiC-on-Si SBDs are still mostly unknown and unclear [26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and Physics-Based Study of the Schottky Barrier Height Inhomogeneity and Associated Traps Affecting 3C-SiC-on-Si Schottky Barrier Diodes

IEEE Trans. on Ind. Applicat.

et al. 2021

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 paper, the authors evaluated 3C-SiC-on-Si Schottky Barrier Contacts by fabricating and testing non-freestanding 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 which 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 tunnelling phenomena which appear to affect the device performance. The observed non-uniformities of the Schottky Barrier Height (SBH) were successfully modelled 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.

“…In the literature there have been various attempts to model such features. In [23]- [25] a simplified approach assumed the contact splitted in two parts, each one characterized by an independent SBH value. This introduced the concept of parallel conduction in which two or more discrete barrier heights are operating in parallel at the Metal / SiC interfaces [26]- [30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is of interest that both the degradation of the electrical performance and the observed inhomogeneous of a Schottky contact have been linked with the presence of traps in fabricated SBDs [38]- [43]. However, the characterization of these traps' and their overall influence on the barrier height value of 3C-SiC-on-Si SBDs are still mostly unknown and unclear [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Investigation and Verification of Traps affecting the performance of 3C-SiC-on-Si Schottky Barrier Diodes

2019 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE)

et al. 2019

Monolithic integration of wide bandgap (WBG) devices for power integrated circuits is currently of increased interest. The ability of the cubic phase (3C-) of Silicon Carbide (SiC) to grow heteroepitaxially on Silicon (Si) substrates (3C-SiC-on-Si) is an enabling feature for a cost-effective integration, including the possible integration with Si devices. The isotropic properties of 3C-SiC and the high thermal conductivity also emphasize its importance. In this paper, the authors evaluated the actual 3C-SiC-on-Si material and established a feasible fabrication methodology. In achieving this, non-freestanding lateral Schottky Barrier Diodes (LSBD) have been fabricated and tested. To gain a deep physical insight of the complex phenomena that take place in this material, an advanced Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) model was developed which allowed accurate match of measurements with simulations. The model incorporated the device geometry, an accurate representation of the bulk material properties and complex trapping/de-trapping and tunnelling phenomena which appear to affect the device performance. The observed nonuniformities of the Schottky Barrier Height (SBH) were also successfully modelled through the effect of the interfacial traps. The combination of TCAD with fabrication and measurements enabled the identification of the trap profiles and their impact on the electrical performance of this new material, a necessary step towards device designs that take advantage of its properties.