Erik Danielsson

Geometrical effects in high current gain 1100-V 4H-SiC BJTs

This paper reports the fabrication of epitaxial 4H-SiC bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) with a maximum current gain /spl beta/=64 and a breakdown voltage of 1100 V. The high /spl beta/ value is attributed to high material quality obtained after a continuous epitaxial growth of the base-emitter junction. The BJTs show a clear emitter-size effect indicating that surface recombination has a significant influence on /spl beta/. A minimum distance of 2-3 /spl mu/m between the emitter edge and base contact implant was found adequate to avoid a substantial /spl beta/ reduction.

Electrical characterization of TiC ohmic contacts to aluminum ion implanted 4H-silicon carbide

We report on the investigation of epitaxial TiC ohmic contacts to Al ion implanted 4H–SiC. TiC ohmic contacts were formed by coevaporation of Ti and C60 at low temperature (<500 °C). A sacrificial silicon nitride (Si3N4) layer was deposited on the silicon carbide substrate prior to Al implantation in order to reach a high Al dopant concentration at the surface while maintaining a low dose. The combination of epitaxially grown TiC and the silicon nitride layer resulted in a promising scheme to make low resistivity ohmic contacts. The lowest contact resistivity (ρC) and sheet resistance (Rs) of the implanted layer at 25 °C were as low as 2×10−5 Ω cm2 and 0.6 kΩ/□, respectively.

Fabrication and characterization of heterojunction diodes with HVPE-grown GaN on 4H-SiC

GaN/SiC heterojunctions can improve the performance considerably for BJTs and FETs. In this work, heterojunction diodes have been manufactured and characterized. The fabricated diodes have a GaN n-type cathode region on top of a 4H-SiC p-type epi layer. The GaN layer was grown with HVPE directly on off-axis SIC without a buffer layer. Mesa structures were formed and a Ti metallization was used as cathode contact to GaN, and the anode contact was deposited on the backside using sputtered Al. Both current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements were performed on the diode structures. The ideality factor of the measured diodes was 1.1 and was constant with temperature. A built in potential of 2.06 V was extracted from I-V measurements and agrees well with the built in potential from C-V measurements. The conduction band offset was extracted to 1.1 eV and the heterojunction was of type II. The turn on voltage for the diodes is about 1 V lower than expected and a suggested mechanism for this effect is discussed.

The influence of band offsets on the IV characteristics for GaN/SiC heterojunctions

Abstract GaN/SiC heterojunctions can improve the performance considerably for bipolar transistors based on SiC technology. In order to fabricate such devices with a high current gain, the origin of the low turn-on voltage for the heterojunction has to be investigated, which is believed to decrease the minority carrier injection considerably. In this work heterojunction diodes are compared and characterized. For the investigated diodes, the GaN layers have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), metal organic chemical vapor deposition, and hydride vapor phase epitaxy. A diode structure fabricated with MBE is presented here, whereas others are collected from previous publications. The layers were grown either with a low temperature buffer, AlN buffer, or without buffer layer. The extracted band offsets are compared and included in a model for a recombination process assisted by tunneling, which is proposed as explanation for the low turn-on voltage. This model was implemented in a device simulator and compared to the measured structures, with good agreement for the diodes with a GaN layer grown without buffer layer. In addition the band offset has been calculated from Schottky barrier measurements, resulting in a type II band alignment with a conduction band offset in the range 0.6–0.9 eV. This range agrees well with the values extracted from capacitance–voltage measurements.

Characterization of heterojunction diodes with hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown AlGaN on 4H–SiC

AlGaN/4H–SiC heterojunction diodes with varying composition of Al have been fabricated. Five different compositions were investigated, GaN, Al0.1Ga0.9N, Al0.15Ga0.85N, Al0.3Ga0.7N, and Al0.5Ga0.5N, along with a 4H–SiC homojunction diode for comparison. The turn on voltage was around 1 V, and the ideality factor between 1 and 2 for all heterojunction diodes except for the Al0.3Ga0.7N diode. This diode had an ideality factor between 2 and 3, and also showed a much lower series resistance, indicating a change in transport mechanism across the junction. A tunnel assisted recombination model was analyzed and compared to the extracted values of the GaN diode. The model agreed well with both current–voltage and capacitance–voltage measurements for this diode. This model was not applied to the other samples, since their characteristics could not be explained by a simple mechanism.

Current Gain of 4H-SiC Bipolar Transistors Including the Effect of Interface States

The current gain (b) of 4H-SiC BJTs as function of collector current (IC) has been investigated by DC and pulsed measurements and by device simulations. A measured monotonic increase of b with IC agrees well with simulations using a constant distribution of interface states at the 4H-SiC/SiO2 interface along the etched side-wall of the base-emitter junction. Simulations using only bulk recombination, on the other hand, are in poor agreement with the measurements. The interface states degrade the simulated current gain by combined effects of localized recombination and trapped charge that influence the surface potential. Additionally, bandgap narrowing has a significant impact by reducing the peak current gain by about 50 % in simulations.

A 4H-SiC BJT with an Epitaxially Regrown Extrinsic Base Layer

4H-SiC BJTs were fabricated using epitaxial regrowth instead of ion implantation to form a highly doped extrinsic base layer necessary for a good base ohmic contact. A remaining p+ regrowth spacer at the edge of the base-emitter junction is proposed to explain a low current gain of 6 for the BJTs. A breakdown voltage of 1000 V was obtained for devices with Al implanted JTE.

Investigation of thermal properties in fabricated 4H-SiC high power bipolar transistors

Abstract Silicon carbide bipolar junction transistors have been fabricated and investigated. The transistors had a maximum current gain of approximately 10 times, and a breakdown voltage of 450 V. When operated at high power densities the device showed a clear self-heating effect, decreasing the current gain. The junction temperature was extracted during self-heating to approximately 150 °C, using the assumption that the current gain only depends on temperature. Thermal images of a device under operation were also recorded using an infrared camera, showing a significant temperature increase in the vicinity of the device. The device was also tested in a switched setup, showing fast turn on and turn off at 1 MHz and 300 V supply voltage. Device simulations have been used to analyze the measured data. The thermal conductivity is fitted against the self-heating, and the lifetime in the base is fitted against the measurement of the current gain.

Simulation and electrical characterization of GaN/SiC and AlGaN/SiC heterodiodes

Heterojunctions on SiC is an area in rapid development, especially GaN/SiC and AlGaN/SiC heterojunctions. The heterojunction can improve the performance considerably for BJTs and FETs. In this work heterojunction diodes have been manufactured and characterized. The structure was a GaN or AlGaN n-type region on top of a 6H-SiC p-type substrate. Two different approaches of growing the n-type region were tested. The GaN was grown with the MBE technique using a polycrystalline GaN buffer, whereas the AlGaN was grown with CVD and an AlN buffer. The AlGaN had an aluminum mole fraction of around 0.1. Mesa structures were formed using Cl2 RIE of GaN/AlGaN, which showed good selectivity on 6H-SiC (about 1:6). A Ti metallization with subsequent RTA was used as contact to GaN and AlGaN, and the contact to 6H-SiC was liquid InGa. Both I-V and C-V measurements were performed on the heterojunction diode. The ideality factor of the diodes, doping concentration of the SiC, and the band alignment of the heterojunction were extracted. © 1999 Elsevier Science S.A.

SiC device technology for high voltage and RF power applications

Recently, silicon carbide (SiC) has drawn considerable attention as a suitable semiconductor material for high power, high frequency, high temperature and radiation resistant devices. The commercialized substrates and the experimental device prototypes in SiC show the promises while the continued improvements in fabrication techniques are required for economically viable productions to be widespread. This paper reviews the progress and current issues in SiC device process technology and the state-of-the art SiC devices for high voltage and RF power applications.