Process Technology for Silicon Carbide Devices
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This book explains why SiC is so useful in electronics, gives clear guidance on the various processing steps (growth, doping, etching, contact formation, dielectrics etc) and describes how these are integrated in device manufacture. The book should serve as an advanced tutorial and reference for those involved in applying the very latest technology emerging from university and commercial laboratories around the world.
Inspec keywords: power semiconductor devices; ion implantation; silicon compounds; micromechanical devices; dielectric materials; etching; Schottky barriers; semiconductor devices; diffusion; wide band gap semiconductors; ohmic contacts; epitaxial growth
Other keywords: SiC; ohmic contacts; high-frequency devices; high-temperature devices; silicon carbide devices; on-resistance; process technology; epitaxial growth; high-voltage blocking; optical devices; ion implantation; thermally grown dielectrics; MEMS; SiC devices; Schottky contacts; etching; diffusion; high-voltage devices
Subjects: Semiconductor technology; Semiconductor devices; Semiconductor-metal interfaces; Piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials; Other semiconductor materials; Surface treatment (semiconductor technology); Thin film growth and epitaxy
- Book DOI: 10.1049/PBEP002E
- Chapter DOI: 10.1049/PBEP002E
- ISBN: 9780852969984
- e-ISBN: 9781849193719
- Page count: 200
- Format: PDF
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Front Matter
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1 Advantages of SiC
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This chapter describes the basic properties of SiC, and show the advantages of using SiC over other semiconductor materials. First the crystallographic properties are described, so that the anisotropy in the electrical properties can be understood. Some other important non-electrical properties are covered as well. The main part of the chapter covers the electrical properties relevant for electronic devices, and this section will reveal the advantages of SiC.
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2 Bulk and epitaxial growth of SiC
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Bulk crystal growth is the technique for fabrication of single crystalline substrates, making the base for further device processing. This chapter describes the seeded sublimation technique used today for high-quality crystals. The focus is on the main growth parameters that are important for doping control and defect reduction. Also, liquid phase epitaxy and the recently presented high-temperature chemical vapour deposition technique for bulk crystals are discussed. In order to fabricate doped device structures, which demand extremely high crystal quality with low defect density, vapour phase epitaxy is performed on the substrates grown by bulk techniques. Vapour phase epitaxy is also treated in detail, with a description of the most common reactor geometries, precursor gases and growth parameters. Methods to avoid defects and to improve the doping profiles are also presented.
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3 Ion implantation and diffusion in SiC
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In conventional semiconductors like silicon and gallium arsenide, the processes for ion implantation and diffusion are well established. Because of the inherent material properties of SiC, these processes cannot be transferred. In this chapter the processes for ion implantation and diffusion of SiC will be described. The main emphasis is on the outcome of the processes rather than the technological realisation. The idea is to provide a basic understanding of the doping process, which is of major concern for the design of electronic devices.
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4 Wet and dry etching of SiC
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In this chapter we will discuss wet and dry patterning techniques for SiC and the relative merits of these methods. We describe the basic principles involved in etching SiC and problems that can arise because of the binary nature of the lattice and its relatively high bond strength. Recent developments in the use of high-density plasma sources to achieve fast etching rates (in some cases over 1 μm min-1 for bulk 4H-SiC) are discussed: these sources are likely to play a dominant role for processing of SiC devices since they are capable of producing etch depths from 0.1 to 100 μm with minimal disruption of the SiC surface. These processes are also applicable to microelectromechanical systems engineering based on SiC substrates.
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5 Thermally grown and deposited dielectrics on SiC
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This chapter gives a survey of the properties of dielectrics on SiC. Dielectrics are needed for surface passivation of SiC devices as well as a gate material in MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors) and related structures for high-power and high-temperature operation. The natural dielectric of choice is silicon dioxide, which can be formed by a simple oxidation of the SiC. Despite significant progress in recent years, insufficient quality of the dielectric is of major concern. We detail the methods currently used to fabricate dielectrics on SiC and discuss their applicability.
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6 Schottky and ohmic contacts to SiC
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This chapter covers Schottky (rectifying barrier) and ohmic (nonrectifying, no barrier) contacts to SiC. There are a few devices such as the MESFET and the Schottky diode that actually need Schottky contacts. However, for most devices ohmic contacts are preferred between a metal and semiconductor. To understand the formation of ohmic contacts, the theory for Schottky contacts is needed, and it is therefore covered first in this chapter. The formation methods are similar for both contact types, and are covered mainly in the section on Schottky contacts. The only way to know if a contact is good enough is to measure its electrical characteristics, and therefore electrical characterisation methods are covered in detail for both contact types.
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7 Devices in SiC
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This chapter is about the devices that can be made in SiC. The first section discusses process integration, which is important for all device types. The chapter is thereafter divided into sections after device application, since the different applications have similar designs and problems even though the device types used are quite different. The sections cover high-voltage devices, high-frequency devices, and finally high-temperature and optical devices. The purpose of this chapter is to show which device types are most popular in SiC, and to compare their typical cross sections with each other.
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Back Matter
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