Materials Science Forum Vols. 615-617

Abstract: The solar cell concept presented here is based on 3C-SiC nano- or microwires and conju¬gated polymers. Therefore the silicon carbide wires are fabricated by a sol-gel route including a car-bothermal reduction step, allowing growth with predetermined uniform diameters between 0.1 and 2μm and lengths up to several centimetres. The design of our photovoltaic device is therein based on a p-i-n structure, well known e.g. from silicon photovoltaics, involving an intrinsic semiconduc¬tor as the central photoactive layer, sandwiched between two complementary doped wide-bandgap semiconductors giving the driving force for charge separation. In our case the 3C-SiC microwires act as the electron acceptor and simultaneously as carrier material for all involved components of the photovoltaic element.

Abstract: The micro-photoluminescence (micro-PL) spectroscopy and its intensity mapping have been utilized to investigate the planar defects, stacking faults (SFs), in 4H-SiC epilayers. Strong PL emissions from the SFs are observed even at room temperature. It is found that each kind of SF shows the distinct PL emission behaviours. Three kinds of SFs: intrinsic Frank SFs, double Shockley SFs, and in-grown SFs, have been identified in the samples based on the micro-PL spectra. At the same time, the micro-PL intensity mapping at the emission band of each SF has been performed to spatially profile the SFs. The shapes, distributions, and densities of SFs in the epilayers are then presented. The PL emission behaviours of each SF at low temperature are also studied.

Abstract: This paper describes the study of non-hollow-core elementary screw dislocations (SDs) in silicon carbide (SiC) diodes using X-ray microbeam three-dimensional topography. Strain analysis shows that typical screw dislocations having a symmetric strain field tend to cause microplasma breakdown, whereas deformed SDs do not. The symmetry break in SDs will relax the focussing of strain and lessen the formation of defects, thereby leading to the desirable non-leak property.

Abstract: Thick 4H-SiC epitaxial layers have been characterized using high-resolution lifetime mapping. The lifetime maps are obtain by the detection of photoluminescence decay of the band gap emission. Full wafers mappings with 200 m resolution reveal lifetime variations that can be associated with structural defects replicated from the substrate, and variations in epitaxial growth conditions due to the susceptor design. High resolution mapping over smaller regions with down to 20 m step size, reveals local lifetime reductions associated with different structural defects in the epitaxial layer. Identified defects that influence the lifetime are the carrot defect, different types of in-grown stacking faults, and an unidentified defect associated with a pair of basal plane dislocations on the surface. Also clusters of threading screw dislocations, probably originating from a dissociated micropipe in the substrate, are found to reduce the lifetime.

Abstract: Photoluminescence(PL)-topography is a powerful method to determine the charge carrier concentration of SiC-wafers. The following work describes the development of a PL-topography method for the determination of charge carrier distribution in p-type SiC and shows the correlation of PL-Intensity and charge carrier concentration. With this setup it is possible to characterize wafers up to a size of 2” at room- and low temperature in a non-destructive way.

Abstract: The paper presents experimental data on the temperature dependence and the excitation properties of the phosphorus-related photoluminescence in 4H SiC. Two main sets of phonon replicas can be observed with selective excitation, which are attributed to two of the no-phonon lines observed in the spectrum. Some of the excited states are also attributed to one of the no-phonon lines on the ground of the selectively excited spectra. A tentative explanation of the observed features in terms of multiple bound excitons is proposed.

Abstract: A change of the electron and hole densities n and p and of the lattice temperature T modulates the real optical refractive index nopt of the device under test. In the forward conducting state the electron and hole distributions n(x) and p(x) in the i-region of the device are generated by the action of carrier injection from the n- and p-emitters. The device is locally heated by Joule and recombination heat, leading to a temperature distribution T(x). The gradients of temperature and charge carrier densities cause a spatial modulation of the real refractive index nopt(x). A laser beam transmitted orthogonally to the direction of current flow of the device is deflected by the gradient of nopt(x). Concurrent deflections caused simultaneously by the carrier gradients on the one side and by the temperature gradient on the other side can be discriminated by their different time constants.

Abstract: The dislocation-induced birefringence of Silicon Carbide (SiC) is analytically and quantitatively modelled by using the adequate SiC data. A good agreement can be obtained between theory and experiment, provided that a background residual (uniaxial) stress is added to the local dislocation-induced stress. Observations are compatible with or predictable from the Burgers vector values, so that birefringence reveals an interesting tool for probing the nature of the dislocations associated, e.g., to micropipes, also faster than and complementary to the more involved transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique.

Abstract: We have performed 2D X-ray diffraction mapping of the SiC lattice basal plane orientation over full 2” SiC substrates. Measurements of the omega angle were made in two perpendicular directions <11-20> and <1-100>, which gives the complete vectorized tilt of the basal planes. The Mapping revealed two characteristic bending behaviors on measured commercial wafers. The first is characterized by large variations in omega angle across the wafer in both crystallographic directions. The continuously changing omega angle in both directions gives the wafer an apparent rotationally symmetric bending which is concave towards the growth direction. The second characteristic behavior is seen in wafers with lower degree of omega angle variation. The variations in this type of wafers are not changing linearly, but are bending the basal planes with two-fold symmetry.

Abstract: An effective low-cost technique for rapid characterization of SiC ingots at the early stage of substrate manufacturing process is proposed. The method allows for revealing simultaneously open-micropipes, polytype inclusions, low grain boundary regions, and non-uniform resistivity. The idea of the method is to subject full-size single SiC wafer cut from an ingot to anodization treatment. The porous structure formed as a result of the treatment decorates existing defect regions via the effect of non-homogeneity in the porous structure caused by the defect-related internal stress, as well as by non-uniformity in the doping level across the wafer. The method is inexpensive, not time consuming and not fully destructive. It can also be combined with the standard selective KOH-etching technique.