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
- 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.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (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, Vol. 124, Issue 18; ISSN 0021-8979
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
Electrically detected magnetic resonance study of barium and nitric oxide treatments of 4H-SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors
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journal | October 2019 |
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