Controlling the carbon vacancy in 4H-SiC by thermal processing

• 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. 

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Carbon

Carrier lifetime

Gallium nitride

Heat treatment

III-V semiconductors

After-heat treatment

Ambient conditions

As-grown

Carbon vacancy

Device performance

High purity

Silicon carbides (SiC)

State of the art

Silicon carbide

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)