| 1. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Controlling the carbon vacancy in 4H-SiC by thermal processing
- 2018
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Ingår i: ECS Transactions. - : Electrochemical Society Inc.. - 1938-6737 .- 1938-5862. ; , s. 91-97
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)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-SÌC. 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 urn thick epi-layers.
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| 2. |
- Bathen, M. E., et al.
(författare)
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Anisotropic and plane-selective migration of the carbon vacancy in SiC : Theory and experiment
- 2019
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Ingår i: Physical Review B. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9950 .- 2469-9969. ; 100:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigate the migration mechanism of the carbon vacancy (VC) in silicon carbide (SiC) using a combination of theoretical and experimental methodologies. The VC, commonly present even in state-of-the-art epitaxial SiC material, is known to be a carrier lifetime killer and therefore strongly detrimental to device performance. The desire for VC removal has prompted extensive investigations involving its stability and reactivity. Despite suggestions from theory that VC migrates exclusively on the C sublattice via vacancy-atom exchange, experimental support for such a picture is still unavailable. Moreover, the existence of two inequivalent locations for the vacancy in 4H-SiC [hexagonal, VC(h), and pseudocubic, VC(k)] and their consequences for VC migration have not been considered so far. The first part of the paper presents a theoretical study of VC migration in 3C- and 4H-SiC. We employ a combination of nudged elastic band (NEB) and dimer methods to identify the migration mechanisms, transition state geometries, and respective energy barriers for VC migration. In 3C-SiC, VC is found to migrate with an activation energy of EA=4.0 eV. In 4H-SiC, on the other hand, we anticipate that VC migration is both anisotropic and basal-plane selective. The consequence of these effects is a slower diffusivity along the axial direction, with a predicted activation energy of EA=4.2 eV, and a striking preference for basal migration within the h plane with a barrier of EA=3.7 eV, to the detriment of the k-basal plane. Both effects are rationalized in terms of coordination and bond angle changes near the transition state. In the second part, we provide experimental data that corroborates the above theoretical picture. Anisotropic migration of VC in 4H-SiC is demonstrated by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) depth profiling of the Z1/2 electron trap in annealed samples that were subject to ion implantation. Activation energies of EA=(4.4±0.3) eV and EA=(3.6±0.3) eV were found for VC migration along the c and a directions, respectively, in excellent agreement with the analogous theoretical values. The corresponding prefactors of D0=0.54cm2/s and 0.017cm2/s are in line with a simple jump process, as expected for a primary vacancy point defect.
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| 3. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Carbon vacancy control in p(+)-n silicon carbide diodes for high voltage bipolar applications
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics D. - : IOP Publishing. - 0022-3727 .- 1361-6463. ; 54:45
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Controlling the carbon vacancy (V-C) in silicon carbide (SiC) is one of the major remaining bottleneck in manufacturing of high voltage SiC bipolar devices, because V-C provokes recombination levels in the bandgap, offensively reducing the charge carrier lifetime. In literature, prominent V-C evolutions have been measured by capacitance spectroscopy employing Schottky diodes, however the trade-offs occurring in the p(+)-n diodes received much less attention. In the present work, applying similar methodology, we showed that V-C is re-generated to its unacceptably high equilibrium level at similar to 2 x10(13) V-C cm(-3) by 1800 degrees C anneals required for the implanted acceptor activation in the p(+)-n components. Nevertheless, we have also demonstrated that the V-C eliminating by thermodynamic equilibrium anneals at 1500 degrees C employing carbon-cap can be readily integrated into the p(+)-n components fabrication resulting in <= 10(11) V-C cm(-3), potentially paving the way towards the realization of the high voltage SiC bipolar devices.
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| 4. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Controlling the carbon vacancy concentration in 4H-SiC subjected to high temperature treatment
- 2016
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Ingår i: 16th International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials, ICSCRM 2015. - : Trans Tech Publications. - 9783035710427 ; , s. 414-417
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon vacancy (VC) is the major charge carrier lifetime limiting-defect in 4H-SiC epitaxial layers and it is readily formed during elevated heat treatments. Here we describe two ways for controlling the VC concentration in 4H-SiC epi-layer using different annealing procedures. One set of samples was subjected to high temperature processing at 1950 °C for 3 min, but then different cooling rates were applied. A significant reduction of the VC concentration was demonstrated by the slow cooling rate. In addition, elimination of the VC’s was also established by annealing a sample, containing high VC concentration, at 1500 °C for a sufficiently long time. Both procedures clearly demonstrate the need for maintaining thermodynamic equilibrium during cooling.
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| 5. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Elimination of carbon vacancies in 4H-SiC employing thermodynamic equilibrium conditions at moderate temperatures
- 2015
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 107:25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon vacancy (VC) is a major point defect in high-purity 4H-SiC epitaxial layers limiting the minority charge carrier lifetime. In layers grown by chemical vapor deposition techniques, the VC concentration is typically in the range of 1012cm-3, and after device processing at temperatures approaching 2000 °C, it can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude. In the present study, both as-grown layers and a high-temperature processed one have been annealed at 1500 °C and the VC concentration is demonstrated to be strongly reduced, exhibiting a value of only a few times 1011cm-3 as determined by deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements. The value is reached already after annealing times on the order of 1 h and is evidenced to reflect thermodynamic equilibrium under C-rich ambient conditions. The physical processes controlling the kinetics for establishment of the VC equilibrium are estimated to have an activation energy below ∼3 eV and both in-diffusion of carbon interstitials and out-diffusion of VC’s are discussed as candidates. This concept of VC elimination is flexible and readily integrated in a materials and device processing sequence.
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| 6. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Elimination of carbon vacancies in 4H-SiC epi-layers by near-surface ion implantation : Influence of the ion species
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Physics. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 118:17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon vacancy (VC) is a prevailing point defect in high-purity 4H-SiC epitaxial layers, and it plays a decisive role in controlling the charge carrier lifetime. One concept of reducing the VC-concentration is based on carbon self-ion implantation in a near surface layer followed by thermal annealing. This leads to injection of carbon interstitials (Ci's) and annihilation of VC's in the epi-layer "bulk". Here, we show that the excess of C atoms introduced by the self-ion implantation plays a negligible role in the VC annihilation. Actually, employing normalized implantation conditions with respect to displaced C atoms, other heavier ions like Al and Si are found to be more efficient in annihilating VC's. Concentrations of VC below ∼2 × 1011 cm-3 can be reached already after annealing at 1400 °C, as monitored by deep-level transient spectroscopy. This corresponds to a reduction in the VC-concentration by about a factor of 40 relative to the as-grown state of the epi-layers studied. The negligible role of the implanted species itself can be understood from simulation results showing that the concentration of displaced C atoms exceeds the concentration of implanted species by two to three orders of magnitude. The higher efficiency for Al and Si ions is attributed to the generation of collision cascades with a sufficiently high energy density to promote Ci-clustering and reduce dynamic defect annealing. These Ci-related clusters will subsequently dissolve during the post-implant annealing giving rise to enhanced Ci injection. However, at annealing temperatures above 1500 °C, thermodynamic equilibrium conditions start to apply for the VC-concentration, which limit the net effect of the Ci injection, and a competition between the two processes occurs.
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| 7. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Formation and annihilation of carbon vacancies in 4H-SiC
- 2016
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Ingår i: 16th International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials, ICSCRM 2015. - : Trans Tech Publications. - 9783035710427 ; , s. 331-336
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon vacancy (VC) is a major point defect in high-purity 4H-SiC epitaxial layers limiting the minority charge carrier lifetime. In layers grown by chemical vapor deposition techniques, the VC concentration is typically in the range of 1012 cm-3 and after device processing at temperatures approaching 2000 °C, it can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude. In the present contribution, we show that the cooling rate after high-temperature processing has a profound influence on the resulting VC concentration where a slow rate promotes elimination of VC. Further, isochronal annealing of as-grown and as-oxidized epi-layers protected by a carbon-cap was undertaken between 800 °C and 1600 °C. The results reveal that thermodynamic equilibrium of VC is established rather rapidly at moderate temperatures, reaching a VC concentration of only a few times 1011 cm-3 after 40 min at 1500 °C. Hence, the concept of eliminating VC’s by annealing at moderate temperatures under C-rich equilibrium conditions shows great promise and enables reannealing of high-temperature processed wafers, in contrast to the procedures commonly used today to eliminate VC. In-diffusion of carbon interstitials and out-diffusion of VC’s are discussed as the kinetics processes establishing the thermodynamic equilibrium.
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| 8. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Formation of carbon vacancy in 4H silicon carbide during high-temperature processing
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 115:1, s. 012005-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As-grown and pre-oxidized silicon carbide (SiC) samples of polytype 4H have been annealed at temperatures up to 1950 degrees C for 10 min duration using inductive heating, or at 2000 degrees C for 30 s using microwave heating. The samples consisted of a n-type high-purity epitaxial layer grown on 4 degrees off-axis < 0001 > n(+)-substrate and the evolution of the carbon vacancy (V-C) concentration in the epitaxial layer was monitored by deep level transient spectroscopy via the characteristic Z(1/2) peak. Z(1/2) appears at similar to 0.7 eV below the conduction band edge and arises from the doubly negative charge state of V-C. The concentration of V-C increases strongly after treatment at temperatures >= 1600 degrees C and it reaches almost 10(15)cm(-3) after the inductive heating at 1950 degrees C. A formation enthalpy of similar to 5.0 eV is deduced for V-C, in close agreement with recent theoretical predictions in the literature, and the entropy factor is found to be similar to 5 k (k denotes Boltzmann's constant). The latter value indicates substantial lattice relaxation around V-C, consistent with V-C being a negative-U system exhibiting considerable Jahn-Teller distortion. The microwave heated samples show evidence of non-equilibrium conditions due to the short duration used and display a lower content of V-C than the inductively heated ones. Finally, concentration-versus-depth profiles of V-C favour formation in the "bulk" of the epitaxial layer as the prevailing process and not a Schottky type process at the surface.
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| 9. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Formation of D-Center in p-type 4H-SiC epi-layers during high temperature treatments
- 2017
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Ingår i: 11th European Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials, ECSCRM 2016. - : Trans Tech Publications Inc.. - 9783035710434 ; , s. 262-265
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The current work is devoted to studying the evolution of deep level defects in the lower half of the 4H-SiC bandgap after high temperature processing and ion implantation. Two as-grown and pre-oxidized 4H-SiC sets of samples have been thermally treated at temperatures up to 1950 °C for 10 min duration using RF inductive heating. Another set of as grown samples was implanted by 4.2 MeV Si ions at room temperature (RT) with different doses (1- 4×108 cm-2). The so-called “D-center” at EV+0.6 eV dominates and forms after the elevated heat treatments, while it shows no change after the ion implantations (EV denotes the valence band edge). In contrast, the concentration of the so-called HK4 level at EV+1.44 eV increases with the implantation dose, whereas it anneals out after heat treatment at ≥ 1700 °C.
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| 10. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
-
Isothermal treatment effects on the carbon vacancy in 4H silicon carbide
- 2015
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Ingår i: Mater. Sci. Forum. - : Trans Tech Publications, Ltd.. - 9783038354789 ; , s. 351-354
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon vacancy (VC) is a minority carrier lifetime controlling defect in 4H-SiC and it is formed during high temperature treatment. In this study, we have performed heat treatment on two sets of n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial samples. The first set was isothermally treated at 1850 °C to follow the evolution of VC as a function of time. The VC concentration is not affected by changing the duration. Samples of the other set were treated at 1950 °C for 10 min, but with different cooling rates and a reduction of the VC concentration was indeed demonstrated by lowering the cooling rate. The VC concentration in the slow-cooled sample is about 2 times less than in the fast-cooled one, reflecting a competition between equilibrium conditions and the cooling rate.
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| 11. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Kinetics modeling of the carbon vacancy thermal equilibration in 4H-SiC
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials, ICSCRM 2017. - : Trans Tech Publications. - 9783035711455 ; , s. 233-236
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon vacancy (VC) is a major limiting-defect of minority carrier lifetime in n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers and it is readily formed during high temperature processing. In this study, a kinetics model is put forward to address the thermodynamic equilibration of VC, elucidating the possible atomistic mechanisms that control the VC equilibration under C-rich conditions. Frenkel pair generation, injection of carbon interstitials (Ci’s) from the C-rich surface, followed by recombination with VC’s, and diffusion of VC’s towards the surface appear to be the major mechanisms involved. The modelling results show a close agreement with experimental deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) depth profiles of VC after annealing at different temperatures.
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| 12. |
- Ayedh, H. M., et al.
(författare)
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Thermodynamic equilibration of the carbon vacancy in 4H-SiC : A lifetime limiting defect
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Physics. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 122:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon vacancy (V-C) is a prominent defect in as-grown 4H-SiC epitaxial layers for high power bipolar devices. V-C is electrically active with several deep levels in the bandgap, and it is an efficient "killer" of the minority carrier lifetime in n-type layers, limiting device performance. In this study, we provide new insight into the equilibration kinetics of the thermodynamic processes governing the V-C concentration and how these processes can be tailored. A slow cooling rate after heat treatment at similar to 2000 degrees C, typically employed to activate dopants in 4H-SiC, is shown to yield a strong reduction of the V-C concentration relative to that for a fast rate. Further, post-growth heat treatment of epitaxial layers has been conducted over a wide temperature range (800-1600 degrees C) under C-rich surface conditions. It is found that the thermodynamic equilibration of V-C at 1500 degrees C requires a duration less than 1 h resulting in a V-C concentration of only similar to 10(11) cm(-3), which is, indeed, beneficial for high voltage devices. In order to elucidate the physical processes controlling the equilibration of V-C, a defect kinetics model is put forward. The model assumes Frenkel pair generation, injection of carbon interstitials (C-i's) from the C-rich surface (followed by recombination with V-C's), and diffusion of V-C's towards the surface as the major processes during the equilibration, and it exhibits good quantitative agreement with experiment.
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| 13. |
- Linnarsson, Margareta K., et al.
(författare)
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Surface erosion of ion-implanted 4H-SiC during annealing with carbon cap
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials, ICSCRM 2017. - : Trans Tech Publications Inc.. - 9783035711455 ; , s. 373-376
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The stability/ erosion of the interface between a C-cap and 4H-SiC have been studied by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Aluminum implantation has been used to monitor the position of the moving interface as well as to investigate the influence on the interface stability by the crystal quality of the 4H-SiC. After Al implantation a C-cap has been deposited by pyrolysis of photoresist. Subsequent annealing has been performed at 1900 and 2000 °C with durations between 15 minutes and 1 hour. SIMS measurements have been performed without removal of the C-cap. The surface remains smooth after the heat treatment, but a large amount of SiC material from the uppermost part of the wafer is lost. The amount of lost material is related to for instance annealing temperature, ambient conditions and ion induced crystal damage. This contribution gives a brief account of the processes governing the SiC surface decomposition during C-cap post implant annealing.
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