Susan Savage

Deep level defects in electron-irradiated 4H SiC epitaxial layers

Deep level defects in electron-irradiated 4H SiC epitaxial layers grown by chemical vapor deposition were studied using deep level transient spectroscopy. The measurements performed on electron-irradiated p+n junctions in the temperature range 100–750 K revealed several electron traps and one hole trap with thermal ionization energies ranging from 0.35 to 1.65 eV. Most of these defects were already observed at a dose of irradiation as low as ≈5×1013 cm-2. Dose dependence and annealing behavior of the defects were investigated. For two of these electron traps, the electron capture cross section was measured. From the temperature dependence studies, the capture cross section of these two defects are shown to be temperature independent.

SiC Based Field Effect Gas Sensors for Industrial Applications

The development and field-testing of high-temperature sensors based on silicon carbide devices have shown promising results in several application areas. Silicon carbide based field-effect sensors can be operated over a large temperature range, 100-600 °C, and since silicon carbide is a chemically very inert material these sensors can be used in environments like exhaust gases and flue gases from boilers. The sensors respond to reducing gases like hydrogen, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The use of different temperatures, different catalytic metals and different structures of the gate metal gives selectivity to different gases and arrays of sensors can be used to identify and monitor several components in gas mixtures. MOSFET sensors based on SiC combine the advantage of simple circuitry with a thicker insulator, which increases the long term stability of the devices. In this paper we describe silicon carbide MOSFET sensors and their performance and give examples of industrial applications such as monitoring of car exhausts and flue gases. Chemometric methods have been used for the evaluation of the data.

Temperature stable Pd ohmic contacts to p-type 4H-SiC formed at low temperatures

The formation of low resistivity Pd-based ohmic contacts to p-type 4H-SiC below 750/spl deg/C are reported herein. The electrical properties of the contacts were examined using I-V measurements and the transmission-line model (TLM) technique. Contact resistivity as a function of annealing was investigated over the temperature range of 600/spl deg/C-700/spl deg/C. The lowest contact resistivity (5.5/spl times/10/sup -5/ /spl Omega/cm/sup 2/) was obtained after annealing at 700/spl deg/C for 5 min. Atomic force microscopy of the as-deposited Pd layer showed a root-mean-square roughness of /spl sim/8 nm, while after annealing at 700/spl deg/C, agglomeration occurred, increasing the roughness to 111 nm. Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiles revealed that with annealing, interdiffusion had resulted in the formation of Pd-rich silicides. However, X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering showed that the majority of the film was still (unreacted) Pd. The thermal stability and reliability of the Pd contacts were examined by aging and temperature dependence electrical tests. The contacts annealed at 700/spl deg/C were stable at prolonged heating at a constant temperature of 500/spl deg/C and they showed thermal stability in air at operating temperatures up to 450/spl deg/C. This stability was not found for contacts formed at lower temperatures of 600/spl deg/C or 650/spl deg/C.

High signal-to-noise ratio quantum well bolometer materials

Novel single crystalline high-performance temperature sensing materials (quantum well structures) have been developed for the manufacturing of uncooled infrared bolometers. SiGe/Si and AlGaAs/GaAs quantum wells are grown epitaxially on standard Si and GaAs substrates respectively. The former use holes as charge carriers utilizing the discontinuities in the valence band structure, whereas the latter operate in a similar manner with electrons in the conduction band. By optimizing parameters such as the barrier height (by variation of the germanium/aluminium content respectively) and the fermi level Ef (by variation of the quantum well width and doping level) these materials provide the potential to engineer layer structures with a very high temperature coefficient of resistance, TCR, as compared with conventional thin film materials such as vanadium oxide and amorphous silicon. In addition, the high quality crystalline material promises very low 1/f-noise characteristics promoting an outstanding signal to noise ratio and well defined and uniform material properties, A comparison between the two (SiGe/Si and AlGaAs/GaAs) quantum well structures and their fundamental theoretical limits are discussed and compared to experimental results. A TCR of 2.0%/K and 4.5%/K have been obtained experimentally for SiGe/Si and AlGaAs/GaAs respectively. The noise level for both materials is measured as being several orders of magnitude lower than that of a-Si and VOx. These uncooled thermistor materials can be hybridized with read out circuits by using conventional flip-chip assembly or wafer level adhesion bonding. The increased bolometer performance so obtained can either be exploited for increasing the imaging system performance, i. e. obtaining a low NETD, or to reduce the vacuum packaging requirements for low cost applications (e.g. automotive).

Fulfilling the pedestrian protection directive using a long-wavelength infrared camera designed to meet both performance and cost targets

Pedestrian fatalities are around 15% of the traffic fatalities in Europe. A proposed EU regulation requires the automotive industry to develop technologies that will substantially decrease the risk for Vulnerable Road Users when hit by a vehicle. Automatic Brake Assist systems, activated by a suitable sensor, will reduce the speed of the vehicle before the impact, independent of any driver interaction. Long Wavelength Infrared technology is an ideal candidate for such sensors, but requires a significant cost reduction. The target necessary for automotive serial applications are well below the cost of systems available today. Uncooled bolometer arrays are the most mature technology for Long Wave Infrared with low-cost potential. Analyses show that sensor size and production yield along with vacuum packaging and the optical components are the main cost drivers. A project has been started to design a new Long Wave Infrared system with a ten times cost reduction potential, optimized for the pedestrian protection requirement. It will take advantage of the progress in Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems and Long Wave Infrared optics to keep the cost down. Deployable and pre-impact braking systems can become effective alternatives to passive impact protection systems solutions fulfilling the EU pedestrian protection regulation. Low-cost Long Wave Infrared sensors will be an important enabler to make such systems cost competitive, allowing high market penetration.

SiC Based Gas Sensors and their Applications

The development and field-testing of hardy high-temperature sensors based on silicon carbide devices has to date shown promising results in several application areas. As the need to take care of the environment becomes more urgent, these small and relatively cheap sensors could be used to increase the monitoring of gases, or to replace or complement larger and more expensive sensor technologies used today. In this paper the development of Silicon Carbide MOSFET transistor sensors and Schottky diode sensors is described. The devices are tested in industrial applications such as monitoring of car exhausts and flue gases.

Toward 17µm pitch heterogeneously integrated Si/SiGe quantum well bolometer focal plane arrays

Most of todays commercial solutions for un-cooled IR imaging sensors are based on resistive bolometers using either Vanadium oxide (VOx) or amorphous Silicon (a-Si) as the thermistor material. Despite the long history for both concepts, market penetration outside high-end applications is still limited. By allowing actors in adjacent fields, such as those from the MEMS industry, to enter the market, this situation could change. This requires, however, that technologies fitting their tools and processes are developed. Heterogeneous integration of Si/SiGe quantum well bolometers on standard CMOS read out circuits is one approach that could easily be adopted by the MEMS industry. Due to its mono crystalline nature, the Si/SiGe thermistor material has excellent noise properties that result in a state-ofthe- art signal-to-noise ratio. The material is also stable at temperatures well above 450°C which offers great flexibility for both sensor integration and novel vacuum packaging concepts. We have previously reported on heterogeneous integration of Si/SiGe quantum well bolometers with pitches of 40μm x 40μm and 25μm x 25μm. The technology scales well to smaller pixel pitches and in this paper, we will report on our work on developing heterogeneous integration for Si/SiGe QW bolometers with a pixel pitch of 17μm x 17μm.

Multiple functional UV devices based on III-Nitride quantum wells for biological warfare agent detection

We have demonstrated surface normal detecting/filtering/emitting multiple functional ultraviolet (UV) optoelectronic devices based on InGaN/GaN, InGaN/AlGaN and AlxGa1-xN/AlyGa1-yN multiple quantum well (MQW) structures with operation wavelengths ranging from 270 nm to 450 nm. Utilizing MQW structure as device active layer offers a flexibility to tune its long cut-off wavelength in a wide UV range from solar-blind to visible by adjusting the well width, well composition and barrier height. Similarly, its short cut-off wavelength can be adjusted by using a GaN or AlGaN block layer on a sapphire substrate when the device is illuminated from its backside, which further provides an optical filtering effect. When a current injects into the device under forward bias the device acts as an UV light emitter, whereas the device performs as a typical photodetector under reverse biases. With applying an alternating external bias the device might be used as electroabsorption modulator due to quantum confined Stark effect. In present work fabricated devices have been characterized by transmission/absorption spectra, photoresponsivity, electroluminescence, and photoluminescence measurements under various forward and reverse biases. The piezoelectric effect, alloy broadening and Stokes shift between the emission and absorption spectra in different InGaN- and AlGaN-based QW structures have been investigated and compared. Possibilities of monolithic or hybrid integration using such multiple functional devices for biological warfare agents sensing application have also be discussed.

MISiCFET chemical sensors for applications in exhaust gases and flue gases

A chemical gas sensor based on a silicon carbide field effect transistor with a catalytic gate metal has been under development for a number of years. The choice of silicon carbide as the semiconductor material allows the sensor to operate at high temperatures, for more than 6 months in flue gases at 300degreesC and for at least three days at 700degreesC. The chemical inertness of silicon carbide and a buried gate design makes it a suitable sensor technology for applications in corrosive environments such as exhaust gases and flue gases from boilers. The selectivity of the sensor devices is established through the choice of type and structure of the gate metal as well as the operation temperature. In this way NH3 sensors with low cross sensitivity to NOx have been demonstrated as potential sensors for control of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx by urea injection into diesel exhausts. Here we show that sensors with a porous platinum or iridium gate show different temperature ranges for NH3 detection. The hardness of the silicon carbide makes it for example more resistant to water splash at cold start of a petrol engine than existing technologies, and a sensor which can control the air to fuel ratio, before the exhaust gases are heated, has been demonstrated. Silicon carbide sensors are also tested in flue gases from boilers. Efficient regulation of the combustion in a boiler will decrease fuel consumption and reduce emissions.

Study of the electrical, thermal and chemical properties of Pd ohmic contacts to p-type 4H-SiC: dependence on annealing conditions

The electrical and chemical properties of Pd ohmic contacts to p-type 4H-SiC, together with their thermal stability, have been studied in the annealing temperature range 600–700°C. The ohmic behaviour of as-deposited and annealed contacts has been checked from I–V characteristics and the contact resistivity has been determined by the linear TLM method in order to determine the electrical properties and the thermal stability. An ohmic behaviour was established after annealing at 600°C, while the lowest contact resistivity 5.5×10−5 Ω.cm2 was obtained at 700°C. The contact structure, before and after annealing, was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth analysis. As-deposited Pd films form an abrupt and chemically inert Pd/SiC interface. Annealing causes the formation of palladium silicide. After formation at 600°C the contact structure consists of unreacted Pd and Pd3Si. During annealing at 700°C, Pd and SiC react completely and a mixture of Pd3Si, Pd2Si and C in a graphite state is found in the contact layer. The examination of the thermal stability shows that after a 100 h heating at 500°C, only the contacts annealed at 700°C did not suffer from a change in resistivity. This can be explained by a more complete reaction between the Pd contact layer and the SiC substrate at this higher annealing temperature.