Impact of Proton Irradiation on Power 4H-SiC MOSFETs

Abstract:

Impact of 15 MeV proton irradiation on electrical characteristics and low frequency noise has been studied in high-power vertical 4H-SiC MOSFETs of 1.2 kV-class at doses 10¹² £ F £ 10¹⁴ cm^-2. The maximum value of the field-effect mobility µ_FЕ depends weakly on F up to F = 2×10¹³ cm^-2. At F = 4×10¹³ cm^-2, the character of the µ_FЕ(V_g) dependence changes radically. The maximum µ_FЕ decreases approximately threefold. The dose F_cr corresponding to the complete degradation of the device is about 10¹⁴ cm^-2. It can be estimated as F_cr» h_e/n₀, where h_e is the electron removal rate and n₀ is the initial electron concentration in the drift layer. In the entire frequency range of analysis f, gate voltages, and drain-source biases, the frequency dependence of the current spectral noise density S_I(f) follows the law S_I ~ 1/f. From the data of noise spectroscopy, the density of traps in the gate oxide N_tv has been estimated. In non-irradiated structures, N_tv » 5.4×10¹⁸ cm^-3eV^-1. At Ф = 6×10¹³ cm^-2, the N_tv value increases to N_tv » 7.2×10¹⁹cm^-3eV^-1. The non-monotonic behavior of the output current I_d and the level of low frequency noise on dose F has been demonstrated.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1004)
• Pages: 1074-1080
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.1004.1074
• Online since: July 2020
• Authors: Alexander A. Lebedev*, Vitalii V. Kozlovski, Leonid Fursin, Anatoly M. Strel'chuk, Mikhail E. Levinshtein, Pavel A. Ivanov, Alexander V. Zubov
• Keywords: 4H-SiC MOSFET, Degradation, Low Frequency Noise, Proton Irradiation, Silicon Carbide

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