Materials Science Forum Vols. 679-680

Abstract: We present the results of an optical investigation performed using low temperature photomuminescence and Raman spectroscopy on bulk 3C-SiC samples grown with the Continuous-Feed Physical Vapor Transport technique, using a small diameter neck to filter the defects and improve the as-grown material.

Abstract: In the course of studying by low temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy a wide range of electron-irradiated samples of p(Al)-type epitaxial layers of 4H SiC, from a variety of different sources of supply, the results were found to fit into two very different categories. The origin of these differences has been explored using a wide range of experimental techniques and found to result from the degree of compensation of the aluminium by nitrogen in the layers. Nitrogen concentrations deduced by SIMS experiments on these materials were found to be unreliable. The two different categories of material, called V and AB here, showed marked differences in their subsequent annealing behaviour and the implications of this distinction are discussed.

Abstract: Non-uniformities of electrical properties of 4H-SiC CVD films have been revealed using physico-chemical reactions occurring upon introduction of radiation-induced structural defects. Primary knocked-out atoms and vacancies actively interact with defects of the starting material and thereby form the final system of radiation centers. The samples were irradiated with 900 keV electrons and 8 MeV protons at doses not leading to conductivity compensation ( 7.5  1012 cm–2) and a dose of 6  1014 cm–2 causing deep compensation. Capacitance methods demonstrated that characteristics of samples ~3 mm in size are not identical. The nuclear spectrometry technique, which enables microprobing of samples, demonstrated individual behavior of separate parts of a film with areas of tens of square micrometers (the dimension of α-particles track cross-section).

Abstract: The mechanisms for the reduction in the hole concentration in lightly Al-doped p-type 4H-SiC epilayers by electron irradiation as well as in the electron concentration in lightly N-doped n-type 4H-SiC epilayers by electron irradiation are investigated. In the p-type 4H-SiC epilayers, the temperature dependence of the hole concentration, , is not changed by 100 keV electron irradiation, while the is decreased by 150 keV electron irradiation. The density of Al acceptors with energy level eV decreases with increasing fluence of 150 keV electrons, whereas the density of deep acceptors with energy level eV increases. In the n-type 4H-SiC epilayers, the temperature dependence of the electron concentration, , is decreased by 200 keV electron irradiation. The density of N donors located at hexagonal C-sublattice sites decreases significantly with increasing fluence of 200 keV electrons, whereas the density of N donors located at cubic C-sublattice site decreases slightly.

Abstract: The evolution of the normal strain induced by nitrogen implantation in 4H-SiC was investigated through X-ray diffraction measurements and compared to previous studies on helium implanted SiC. The shape of the normal strain profile in the near surface region shows that the accumulation of point defects is not the only mechanism operative at room temperature. In the highly damaged region, the normal strain profile fits the N concentration.

Abstract: In this work the capability of the proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique to monitor a rapid, non-destructive and accurate quantification of Al on and in Si-based matrix is discussed. Optimization of PIXE acquisition parameters was performed using as reference a thin Al film (2.5 nm) thermally evaporated onto silicon substrate. In order to improve the sensitivity for Al detection and quantitative determination, a systematic study was undertaken using proton ion beam at different energies (from 0.3 to 3 MeV) with a different tilting angle (0°, 60°, and 80°). The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be lower than 0.2 nm. The optimum PIXE conditions (energy, angle) were applied for determining the Al doping concentration in thin (1 µm) 4H-SiC homoepitaxial layer. The Al concentration as determined by PIXE was found to be 3.9x1020 at/cm3 in good agreement with SIMS measurements, and the LOD was estimated to be 6x1018 at/cm3.

Abstract: Two electrical characterization methods were used to study 3C-SiC epilayers doped by nitrogen implantation: circular Transfer Length Method (c­TLM) which allows extracting the specific contact resistance and Scanning Spreading Resistance Microscopy (SSRM) used to measure activated doping concentration. 3C-SiC samples were implanted at room temperature with different energies (ranging from 30 to 150keV) and doses (from 1 to 5.4x1015cm-2) in order to obtain a 300nm thick box-like profile at 5x1020cm-3. To activate the dopant, the samples were then annealed from 1150°C to 1350°C for 1h to 4h. Titanium-nickel c-TLM contacts annealed at 1000°C under argon showed the best results in terms of specific contact resistance (8x10-6.cm2) after a 1350°C–1h annealing. For this annealing condition, the activation rate was assessed by SSRM around 13%. This value confirms the difficulty to activate the dopants introduced into the 3C-SiC as the temperature is limited by the silicon substrate. However, this work demonstrates that low resistance values can be achieved on 3C-SiC, using nitrogen implantation at room temperature.

Abstract: We investigate the carrier lifetimes in very thick 4H-SiC epilayers (~250 μm) by means of time-resolved photoluminescence and microwave photoconductive decay. Both the minority carrier lifetime and the high injection lifetime are found to reach 18.5 μs by applying the carbon implantation/annealing method to the as-grown epilayers. We also study the epilayer thickness dependence of the carrier lifetime by successive experiments involving lifetime measurement and polishing. Based on the relationships between epilayer thickness and carrier lifetime, the bulk carrier lifetime and the hole diffusion constant are discussed.

Abstract: The effects of compensation on the hole concentration and mobility in Al-doped 4H-SiC have been investigated by theoretical calculations using the parameters taken from our experimental results on the less-compensated epilayers. The hole concentrations, hole Hall mobilities and resistivities obtained by experiment and calculations are compared and discussed.

Abstract: Free carrier dynamics has been studied in 4H- and 3C-SiC in a wide temperature range using time-resolved photoluminescence, free carrier absorption, and light induced transient grating techniques. Considerably high carrier lifetime was observed in 3C-SiC epitaxial layers grown on 4H-SiC substrates using hot-wall CVD with respect to previously reported values for 3C-SiC grown either on Si or on 6H-SiC substrates. The temperature dependences of carrier lifetime and diffusion coefficient for 4H- and 3C-SiC were compared. Shorter photoluminescence decay time with respect to free carrier absorption decay time was observed in the same 4H-SiC sample, while these techniques revealed similar trends in the carrier lifetime temperature dependencies. However, the latter dependences for hot-wall CVD-grown 3C layers were found different if measured by time resolved photoluminescence and free carrier absorption techniques.