Evaluation of Crystal Quality and Dopant Activation of Smart Cut^TM - Transferred 4H-SiC Thin Film

Abstract:

The Smart CutTM process offers an advantageous opportunity to provide a large number of performance-improved SiC substrates for power electronics. The crystalline quality and the electrical activation of the 4H-SiC transferred layer are then at stake when it comes to the power device reliability. In this study, we find that the H⁺ ion implantation used for the Smart CutTM process leads to electrical deactivation of dopants and partially disorders the material. The transferred layer fully recovers its initial crystalline quality after a 1300°C anneal, with no further evolution beyond this temperature. At this point however, the n-type dopants are still inactive. The dopant reactivation occurs in the same temperature range than that of implanted nitrogen: between 1400°C and 1700°C. After 1700°C, the initial doping level of bulk SiC is recovered.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1089)
• Pages: 71-79
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-026sj4
• Online since: May 2023
• Authors: Guillaume Gelineau*, Julie Widiez, Emmanuel Rolland, Krenema Vladimirova, Alexandre Moulin, Vladimir S. Prudkovskiy, Nicolas Troutot, Patrice Gergaud, Denis Mariolle, Sophie Barbet, Vincent Amalbert, Gérard Lapertot, Karine Mony, Séverin Rouchier, Romain Boulet, Guillaume Berre, Walter Schwarzenbach, Yann Bogumilowicz
• Keywords: Crystal Quality, Dopant Activation, Ion Implantation, Layer Transfer, Smart CutTM

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