Effects of nitrogen on the interface density of states distribution in 4H-SiC metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors: Super-hyperfine interactions and near interface silicon vacancy energy levels

Anders, Mark A.; Lenahan, Patrick M.; Edwards, Arthur H.; Schultz, Peter A.; Van Ginhoven, Renee M.

doi:10.1063/1.5045668

Effects of nitrogen on the interface density of states distribution in 4H-SiC metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors: Super-hyperfine interactions and near interface silicon vacancy energy levels

Journal Article · Tue Nov 13 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5045668· OSTI ID:1528877

Anders, Mark A. ^[1]; Lenahan, Patrick M. ^[2]; Edwards, Arthur H. ^[3]; Schultz, Peter A. ^[4]; Van Ginhoven, Renee M. ^[5]

National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
Air Force Research Lab, Kirtland Air Force Base, NM (United States)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, NM (United States)

The performance of silicon carbide (SiC)-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is greatly enhanced by a post-oxidation anneal in NO. These anneals greatly improve effective channel mobilities and substantially decrease interface trap densities. In this work, we investigate the effect of NO anneals on the interface density of states through density functional theory (DFT) calculations and electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) measurements. EDMR measurements on 4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC) MOSFETs indicate that NO annealing substantially reduces the density of near interface SiC silicon vacancy centers: it results in a 30-fold reduction in the EDMR amplitude. The anneal also alters post-NO anneal resonance line shapes significantly. EDMR measurements exclusively sensitive to interface traps with near midgap energy levels have line shapes relatively unaffected by NO anneals, whereas the measurements sensitive to defects with energy levels more broadly distributed in the 4H-SiC bandgap are significantly altered by the anneals. Using DFT, we show that the observed change in EDMR linewidth and the correlation with energy levels can be explained by nitrogen atoms introduced by the NO annealing substituting into nearby carbon sites of silicon vacancy defects.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

OSTI ID:: 1528877

Report Number(s):: SAND--2019-6728J; 676414

Journal Information:: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 18 Vol. 124; ISSN 0021-8979

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (35)

Principles of Magnetic Resonance Slichter, Charles P. Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09441-9	book	January 1990
Atomic parameters for paramagnetic resonance data Morton, J. R.; Preston, K. F. Journal of Magnetic Resonance (1969), Vol. 30, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-2364(78)90284-6	journal	June 1978
Modeling charged defects inside density functional theory band gaps Schultz, Peter A.; Edwards, Arthur H. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Vol. 327 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2013.09.046	journal	May 2014
Explanation of the large spin-dependent recombination effect in semiconductors Kaplan, D.; Solomon, I.; Mott, N. F. Journal de Physique Lettres, Vol. 39, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1051/jphyslet:0197800390405100	journal	January 1978
Effect of nitric oxide annealing on the interface trap densities near the band edges in the 4H polytype of silicon carbide Chung, G. Y.; Tin, C. C.; Williams, J. R. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 76, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.126167	journal	March 2000
Electronic Population Analysis on LCAO–MO Molecular Wave Functions. I Mulliken, R. S. The Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 23, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1740588	journal	October 1955
Diffusion and Electrolytic Conduction in Crystals (Ionic Semiconductors) Jost, W. The Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 1, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1749319	journal	July 1933
Density of interface states, electron traps, and hole traps as a function of the nitrogen density in SiO2 on SiC Rozen, John; Dhar, Sarit; Zvanut, M. E. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 105, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3131845	journal	June 2009
Spin dependent charge pumping in SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors Bittel, B. C.; Lenahan, P. M.; Ryan, J. T. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3630024	journal	August 2011
Behavior of nitrogen atoms in SiC-SiO ₂ interfaces studied by electrically detected magnetic resonance Umeda, T.; Esaki, K.; Kosugi, R. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3644156	journal	October 2011
Fixed nitrogen atoms in the SiO ₂ /SiC interface region and their direct relationship to interface trap density Kosugi, R.; Umeda, T.; Sakuma, Y. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3659689	journal	October 2011
Giant amplification of spin dependent recombination at heterojunctions through a gate controlled bipolar effect Aichinger, Thomas; Lenahan, Patrick M. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4747495	journal	August 2012
The effect of nitric oxide anneals on silicon vacancies at and very near the interface of 4H SiC metal oxide semiconducting field effect transistors using electrically detected magnetic resonance Cochrane, C. J.; Lenahan, P. M.; Lelis, A. J. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4805355	journal	May 2013
Formation and annealing behaviors of qubit centers in 4H-SiC from first principles Wang, Xiaopeng; Zhao, Mingwen; Bu, Hongxia Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 114, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4832457	journal	November 2013
A methodology to identify and quantify mobility-reducing defects in 4H-silicon carbide power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors Ettisserry, D. P.; Goldsman, N.; Lelis, A. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4868579	journal	March 2014
Multi-resonance frequency spin dependent charge pumping and spin dependent recombination - applied to the 4H-SiC/SiO ₂ interface Anders, M. A.; Lenahan, P. M.; Lelis, A. J. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 122, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4996298	journal	December 2017
Comprehensive ab initio study of properties of monovacancies and antisites in 4H-SiC Torpo, L.; Marlo, M.; Staab, T. E. M. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Vol. 13, Issue 28 https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/13/28/305	journal	June 2001
Off-center Tl and Na dopant centers in CsI Van Ginhoven, R. M.; Schultz, P. A. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Vol. 25, Issue 49 https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/25/49/495504	journal	November 2013
The E 1– E 2 center in gallium arsenide is the divacancy Schultz, Peter A. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Vol. 27, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/27/7/075801	journal	January 2015
Simple intrinsic defects in gallium arsenide Schultz, Peter A.; von Lilienfeld, O. Anatole Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 17, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1088/0965-0393/17/8/084007	journal	November 2009
Generalized norm-conserving pseudopotentials Hamann, D. R. Physical Review B, Vol. 40, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.40.2980	journal	August 1989
Self-Consistent Results for n -Type Si Inversion Layers Stern, Frank Physical Review B, Vol. 5, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.5.4891	journal	June 1972
Vacancies in SiC: Influence of Jahn-Teller distortions, spin effects, and crystal structure Zywietz, A.; Furthmüller, J.; Bechstedt, F. Physical Review B, Vol. 59, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.59.15166	journal	June 1999
Spin-Dependent Recombination on Silicon Surface Lepine, Daniel J. Physical Review B, Vol. 6, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.6.436	journal	July 1972
Local electrostatic moments and periodic boundary conditions Schultz, Peter A. Physical Review B, Vol. 60, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.60.1551	journal	July 1999
Generalized Gradient Approximation Made Simple Perdew, John P.; Burke, Kieron; Ernzerhof, Matthias Physical Review Letters, Vol. 77, Issue 18, p. 3865-3868 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.3865	journal	October 1996
Charged Local Defects in Extended Systems Schultz, Peter A. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 84, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.1942	journal	February 2000
Theory of Defect Levels and the “Band Gap Problem” in Silicon Schultz, Peter A. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 96, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.246401	journal	June 2006
Analysis of the charge pumping technique and its application for the evaluation of MOSFET degradation Heremans, P.; Witters, J.; Groeseneken, G. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 36, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1109/16.30938	journal	July 1989
Molecular hydrogen, E' center hole traps, and radiation induced interface traps in MOS devices Conley, J. F.; Lenahan, P. M. IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 40, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1109/23.273534	journal	January 1993
Counter-doped MOSFETs of 4H-SiC Ueno, K.; Oikawa, T. IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 20, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1109/55.806105	journal	December 1999
Improved inversion channel mobility for 4H-SiC MOSFETs following high temperature anneals in nitric oxide Chung, G. Y.; Tin, C. C.; Williams, J. R. IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 22, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1109/55.915604	journal	April 2001
Charge pumping in MOS devices Brugler, J. S.; Jespers, P. G. A. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 16, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1109/T-ED.1969.16744	journal	March 1969
A reliable approach to charge-pumping measurements in MOS transistors Groeseneken, G.; Maes, H. E.; Beltran, N. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 31, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1109/T-ED.1984.21472	journal	January 1984
The Effect of Nitridation on SiC MOS Oxides as Evaluated by Charge Pumping Habersat, Daniel B.; Lelis, Aivars J.; McGarrity, J. M. Materials Science Forum, Vol. 600-603 https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.600-603.743	journal	September 2008

Cited By (1)

Electrically detected magnetic resonance study of barium and nitric oxide treatments of 4H-SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors Ashton, J. P.; Lenahan, P. M.; Lichtenwalner, D. J. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 126, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5120704	journal	October 2019

Similar Records

A methodology to identify and quantify mobility-reducing defects in 4H-silicon carbide power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

Journal Article · Fri Mar 14 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics · OSTI ID:22277869

Interface defects in SiC power MOSFETs - An electrically detected magnetic resonance study based on spin dependent recombination

Journal Article · Thu Feb 20 23:00:00 EST 2014 · AIP Conference Proceedings · OSTI ID:22263682

The Effects of Nitrogen on the Interface State Density Near the Conduction Band Edge in 4H and 6H-SiC

Conference · Mon Jun 12 00:00:00 EDT 2000 · OSTI ID:771405

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING

Effects of nitrogen on the interface density of states distribution in 4H-SiC metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors: Super-hyperfine interactions and near interface silicon vacancy energy levels

Citation Formats

References (35)

Cited By (1)

Similar Records

Related Subjects