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Original Paper
Investigation on barrier inhomogeneities in 4H-SiC Schottky rectifiers
Article first published online: 10 JAN 2006
DOI: 10.1002/pssa.200521017
Copyright © 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Additional Information
How to Cite
Ma, X., Sadagopan, P. and Sudarshan, T. S. (2006), Investigation on barrier inhomogeneities in 4H-SiC Schottky rectifiers. physica status solidi (a), 203: 643–650. doi: 10.1002/pssa.200521017
Publication History
- Issue published online: 11 JAN 2006
- Article first published online: 10 JAN 2006
- Manuscript Accepted: 8 DEC 2005
- Manuscript Revised: 29 JUL 2005
- Manuscript Received: 19 MAY 2005
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- 72.80.Jc;
- 73.30.+y;
- 73.40.Ns
Abstract
In order to investigate the Schottky barrier height inhomogeneities in 4H silicon carbide Schottky rectifiers, two surface modification processes were developed to control the influence caused by the surface defects. Both forward and reverse electrical characteristics of Schottky contacts, fabricated on different surface conditions, indicated that the inhomogeneities could be precisely controlled, completely eliminated and exactly duplicated using reactive ion etching and hydrogen-etching surface modification processes. After removing the barrier inhomogeneities, all contacts exhibited a wide linearity region (over nine decades) which can be well explained using thermionic emission theory. The calculated ideality factor n and the Schottky barrier height Φb were in the range of 1.17–1.20 and 1.12 eV–1.22 eV respectively. Most contacts exhibited a low reverse leakage, about 10–6 A/cm2 at the reverse bias of 300 V. Finally sharp-apex growth pits were proposed as source defects to understand the Schottky barrier height inhomogeneities. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)