Papers by Author: Marc Portail

Abstract: We verify experimentally to what extent the intensity of 3C-SiC TO peak in infrared reflectance spectrum can be used to estimate the thickness of extremely thin 3C-SiC epilayers on Si. The influence of several Si substrate characteristics (orientation, doping level, back-side surface preparation) on the peak calibration is discussed.

Abstract: X-Ray diffraction measurements of lattice parameter were performed for (111) and (100) oriented 3C-SiC/Si epiwafers. Strain of 3C-SiC epilayer and Si substrate were estimated and the result was compared with routine wafer deformation measurements. An unexpected discrepancy was observed between XRD and curvature measurements for (100) oriented samples.

Abstract: The present experimental study demonstrates the feasibility of Vanadium doping of 3CSiC hetero-epitaxial material. Some of Vanadium incorporation trends as well as the influence of Vanadium doping on 3C-SiC resistivity are observed.

Abstract: This paper demonstrates the ability of 3CSiC microcantilevers (μCs) to monitor binary gas mixture without sensitive coating. Here, 3CSiC is chosen in particular, as the newly designed sensor will be placed in a radioactive environment. The change in gas concentration is identified using relative shifts in the cantilever’s mechanical resonance frequency (∆f_r). The presented microcantilevers work on electromagnetic actuation and inductive detection. In this paper, the fabrication process, optical characterization results using laser Doppler vibrometry and test results under a gas mixture environment are demonstrated. The presented limit of detection shows the ability of 3CSiCμCs to detect less than 1% of hydrogen in nitrogen, which makes them suitable for the targeted application.

Abstract: We present an epitaxy-based approach for designing a 3C-SiC Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT). The design requires to consider a 3C-SiC/Si/3C-SiC heterostructure on a Si substrate. This implies to address different growth steps of SiC on Si and Si on SiC. We present some specific growth related issued, namely the control of selectively grown Si on a masked SiC(100) and the further regrowth of 3C-SiC on a Si (110) layer. The final release of the SiC membrane, to define a CMUT, is also addressed using a simple thermal treatment allowing to suppress several technological steps.

Abstract: Experimental results presented in this contribution demonstrate that adding HCl to the SiC CVD process is not only an efficient way to suppress the Aluminum memory effect but may also be considered as a powerful tool for fine tuning of intentional Al incorporation in 3C-SiC and 4H-SiC thin films. The approach is easy to implement and seems more reliable than changing TMA bubbling/dilution parameters during the growth. An ad-hoc phenomenological model is proposed to explain the correlation between the HCl supply and Al incorporation.

Abstract: In this work, an AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure is grown on a 0.8 μm thick 3C-SiC layer on high resistivity Silicon substrate. The RF propagation losses are investigated and compared with the ones of epi-layers grown directly on Silicon and on 6H-SiC substrates. Short gate length transistors are fabricated using e-beam lithography. In spite of ohmic contact resistance of 0.6 Ω.mm, a saturated current density of 0.7 A/mm at a gate bias of +1V and a transconductance peak higher to 250 mS/mm for 75 nm T-shaped gate transistors are reached on structure with thick 3C-SiC template. Moreover, for the first time, transition frequencies f_T/f_max of 60/98 GHz are reported on such 3C-SiC template.

Abstract: In this contribution we investigate the formation at high temperature of an oriented 3C-SiC seed on various orientations of Si substrates “pre-carbonized” through Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII) process.

Abstract: After presenting an exhaustive experimental study of aluminum incorporation in epitaxial 4H-SiC and 3CSiC films grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), we focalize once more on what is called site competition effects. We observed that the influence of C/Si ratio on dopant (Al, N) incorporation in SiC was qualitatively different depending on whether the growth experiments were performed in “low temperature” (LT) or “high temperature” (HT) regime. Partial explanation of observed phenomena basing on thermal evolution of carbon coverage of SiC surface is proposed.

Abstract: In this study we report the growth of graphene on different silicon carbide substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in order to understand the influence of the substrate offcut on the graphene layers. For this purpose, graphene was grown on substrates with different offcuts, under hydrogen-argon atmosphere, and analyzed using AFM, LEED and Raman spectroscopy. We discuss the morphology and strain in graphene, and finally the ideal offcut for graphene growth.