Papers by Keyword: Off-Angle

Abstract: On 4H-SiC Si-face substrates after H₂ etching, the defect with “line” feature parallel to a step as “bunched-step line” was observed. Using X-ray topography and KOH etching, we confirmed that the bunched-step line originated from basal plane dislocation (BPD). Use of the substrate with the lowest BPD density will be effective to reduce bunched-step line that would affect oxide layer reliability on an epitaxial layer. However, more detail investigation needs to classify the BPD that would become a starting point of bunched-step line.

Abstract: We have investigated a conversion of basal plane dislocation (BPD) to threading edge dislocation (TED) in growth of epitaxial layers (epi-layers) on 4H-SiC vicinal substrates with an off-angle of 0.85° at low C/Si ratio of 0.7 by using deep KOH etching and X-ray topography observations. Deep KOH etching indicated that BPDs in the substrates converted to TEDs in the epi-layers. X-ray topography observations suggested that the conversion occurred during epitaxial growth when the thickness of epi-layers was less than 1.5 μm. We found that the conversion ratio obtained from counting deep KOH etch pits was over 99%.

Abstract: We have grown epitaxial layers on 2° off-cut 4H-SiC(0001) Si-face substrates. The epitaxial layer surfaces on 2° off-cut substrates are more prone to generate step-bunching than on 4° off-cut substrates, which are observed by confocal microscopy with differential interference contrast. We have speculated that the step-bunching is generated at the beginning of an epitaxial growth. Triangular defect density of epitaxial layers on 2° off-cut substrates is as low as 0.7 cm^–2 for the size corresponding to 150 mm. We have firstly reported distribution of 2° off-cut epitaxial layers for the 150-mm size using two 76.2-mm wafers: σ/mean = 3.3% for thickness, σ/mean = 7.3% for carrier concentration.

Abstract: In this study, we have investigated N2O oxidation of various off-angled 4H-SiC (0001) epilayers and characterized the properties of MOS interfaces. The oxide thickness almost linearly increases with increasing off-angle. Oxidation on highly off-angled (0001) 4H-SiC is faster than that on 8o off-axis (0001). The off-angle dependence of Dit is very small for the MOS capacitors in the off-angle range from 8o to 30o. The depth profiles of carbon and nitrogen atoms near the MOS interface on 15o off-axis 4H-SiC(0001) are similar to those on 8o off-axis (0001).

Abstract: We investigate the effect of surface orientation and off-angle for Al-implanted 4H-SiC samples after high temperature annealing. The samples are obtained from a 4H-SiC (0001) substrate 8° off-angled (Si-face 8°off), and (000-1) substrates 8° (C-face 8°off), 4° (C-face 4°off) and less than 1° off-angled (C-face ~1°off). An n-type epitaxial layer is deposited on all substrates. Multiple implantations of Al+ (30~200keV) are carried out at 600°C. The total dose is 8.6 × 1015 cm-2. The Al-implanted samples are annealed in Ar ambient at 1580°C, 1700°C and 1800°C for 30s using the hybrid super rapid thermal annealing (HS-RTA) equipment. In this study, sheet resistance (Rs), free carrier concentration (Ns), Hall mobility (μ) and root-mean square roughness (Rrms) are used to evaluate the Al-implanted samples after high temperature annealing. Rs for all Al-implanted samples after annealing at 1800°C for 30s is around 18k/. Rrms for the Al-implanted C-face samples after annealing at 1800°C increases with increasing off-angle. Rrms for the Al-implanted Si-face 8°off sample after annealing increases with annealing temperature. Rrms for the C-face ~1°off Al-implanted sample after annealing at 1800°C is lower than that for the Si-face 8°off Al-implanted sample after annealing at 1700°C, moreover Rs for the C-face ~1°off sample after annealing at 1800°C is about 10% of that for the Si-face 8°off Al-implanted sample after annealing at 1700°C. It is shown that the C-face ~1°off sample is useful to fabricate a p+ region with low Rs and low Rrms. If C-face 4H-SiC is used to fabricate devices, devices made on C-face 4H-SiC with low off angle are expected to decrease any problems caused by increase of surface roughness after high temperature annealing (~1800°C).

Abstract: We have investigated the morphology and doping characteristics of 4H-SiC epilayers grown on 13o-22o off-axis (0001) substrates by horizontal hot-wall CVD. Step bunching is not observed on 18o off-axis substrates as well as on other substrates with large off-angles. The rms roughness is a minimum (as small as 0.10 nm) on 18o off-axis (0001). Under C-rich condition (C/Si >1.0), the donor concentration increases by increasing the off-angle, when the off-angle is larger than 15o. This trend in doping characteristic is enhanced in CVD growth at 1450-1500oC. At a high temperature of 1600oC, however, the off-angle dependence of donor concentration is significantly reduced. Epitaxial growth on 4H-SiC(000-1) with large off-angles is also reported.

Abstract: Chemical vapor deposition of 4H-SiC on (0001) substrates with various off-angles from 1o to 45o has been investigated. On large-off-angled (15o-45o) substrates, very smooth surface morphology is obtained in the wide range of C/Si ratio. The micropipe dissociation during epitaxial growth is observed on 4o-45o off-angled substrates with a low C/Si ratio. The incorporation of nitrogen was dramatically suppressed by increasing C/Si ratio irrespective of substrate’s off-angle.