Papers by Author: Nadeemullah A. Mahadik

Abstract: The effects of Shockley stacking faults (SSFs) that originate from half loop arrays (HLAs) on the forward voltage and reverse leakage were measured in 10 kV 4H-SiC PiN diodes. The presence of HLAs and basal plane dislocations in each diode in a wafer was determined by ultraviolet photoluminescence imaging of the wafer before device fabrication. The SSFs were expanded by electrical stressing under forward bias of 30 A/cm², and contracted by annealing at 550 °C. The electrical stress increased both the forward voltage and reverse leakage. Annealing returned the forward voltage and reverse leakage to nearly their original behavior. The details of SSF expansion and contraction from a HLA and the effects on the electrical behavior of the PiN diodes are discussed.

Abstract: Shockley stacking fault (SSF) contraction in 4H-SiC was investigated, in-situ, under varying temperature and ultraviolet (UV) intensity. Contraction of single SSFs at room temperature was observed for the first time under low power UV excitation of 0.04 W/cm². At temperatures above 150 °C, complete SSF contraction occurred for UV power at 0.2 W/cm². In contrast to expansion, SSF contraction occurred in discrete jumps between pinning sites along existing C-core partials. Luminescence from the pinning sites suggest they may be local concentrations of point defects. Additionally, a change in the line direction of the Si-core partials by ~25o off the direction was observed.

Abstract: The effect of extended defects on carrier lifetime was investigated in 140 um thick 4H-SiC epilayers using whole wafer ultraviolet photoluminescence (UVPL) and microwave photoconductive decay (uPCD) mapping. Half-loop arrays (HLA) seen in the UVPL images showed a corresponding lifetime degradation in the same region, even before expansion of the HLAs to form SFs. Lifetime lowering was also seen for a defect comprising of a small 3C-SiC inclusion with a larger misoriented 4H-SiC region. Additionally, formation of slip planes after high temperature annealing was observed, which consequently shows a lifetime reduction in that region.

Abstract: The effectiveness of an in-situ growth interrupt in nitrogen doped 8° off-cut epilayers was investigated using ultraviolet photoluminescence imaging. Low-doped n-type epilayers (<1016 cm-3) exhibited an abrupt increase in BPD to TED conversion at the growth interrupt and achieved 96-99% conversion overall (< 10 BPDs/cm-2), while high-doped epilayers had minimal conversion at the interrupt (< 1%) and overall (< 30%). This large discrepancy suggests nitrogen prohibits or alters the conversion mechanism at the growth interrupt. Therefore, a novel SEM technique was developed to "freeze-in" the interface morphology and help elucidate the conversion mechanism. Preliminary results suggest that preferential etching at the point of BPD intersection with the surface is greatly reduced in highly doped layers, which inhibits the conversion mechanism.

Abstract: The structure of various inclusions in SiC epitaxial layers grown on 4o offcut substrates was investigated using three advanced techniques. Using micro-Raman spectroscopy, the observed inclusions exhibited a complex structure having either different SiC polytypes like 3C or 6H or they were misoriented 4H-SiC inclusions. The UVPL images showed dislocations and other extended defects around the inclusion-related defects, and strain fields were observed in the x-ray topographs near the defect sites. Spectral UVPL imaging shows features with varying luminescence inside the inclusion related defects which propagate and may cause deformation in the crystalline structure and lead to non-radiative recombination centers within the defect.