Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T02:03:02.063Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Enhancing interface quality by gate dielectric deposition on a nitrogen-conditioned 4H–SiC surface

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2012

John Rozen ,
Masahiro Nagano  and
Hidekazu Tsuchida
John Rozen
Affiliation:
Materials Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 240-0196, Japan
Masahiro Nagano*
Affiliation:
Materials Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 240-0196, Japan
Hidekazu Tsuchida
Affiliation:
Materials Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 240-0196, Japan
*
b)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail:m-nagano@criepi.denken.or.jp
Get access

Abstract

Using metal-oxide-semiconductor devices, we show that the density of interface states at the SiO2/4H–SiC interface can be reduced by applying a N2 heat treatment to a silicon carbide (SiC) surface prior to the deposition of a gate dielectric. Remarkably, this technique yields an interface that is at least as good as the one formed by thermal oxidation in terms of electrically active defects. This improvement can be traced to nitrogen insertion at the semiconductor surface, which provides a seed layer for subsequent deposition. The nature of N incorporation and its impact on electrical properties were studied using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and capacitance-voltage measurements. These results offer a new perspective in the quest to maximize minority carrier mobility and minimize energy loss in 4H–SiC switches.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 28 , Issue 1: Focus Issue: Silicon Carbide – Materials, Processing and Devices , 14 January 2013 , pp. 28 - 32
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Rozen, J., Ahyi, A.C., Zhu, X., Williams, J.R., and Feldman, L.C.: Scaling between channel mobility and interface state density in SiC MOSFETs. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 58, 3808 (2011).Google Scholar
Saks, N.S. and Agarwal, A.K.: Hall mobility and free electron density at the SiC/SiO2 interface in 4H-SiC. Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 3281 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arnold, E. and Alok, D.: Effect of interface states on electron transport in 4H-SiC inversion layers. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 48, 1870 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, S., Dhar, S., Wang, S.R., Ahyi, A.C., Franceschetti, A., Williams, J.R., Feldman, L.C., and Pantelides, S.T.: Bonding at the SiC-SiO2 interface and the effects of nitrogen and hydrogen. Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 026101 (2007).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knaup, J.M., Deak, P., Frauenheim, T., Gali, A., Hajnal, Z., and Choyke, W.J.: Theoretical study of the mechanism of dry oxidation of 4H-SiC. Phys. Rev. B 71, 235321 (2005).Google Scholar
Hijikata, Y., Yaguchi, H., and Yoshida, S.: A kinetic model of silicon carbide oxidation based on the interfacial silicon and carbon emission phenomenon. Appl. Phys. Express 2, 021203 (2009).Google Scholar
Noborio, M., Suda, J., and Kimoto, T.: Enhanced channel mobility in 4H-SiC MISFETs by utilizing deposited SiN/SiO2 stack gate structures. Mater. Sci. Forum 600–603, 679 (2009).Google Scholar
Hino, S., Hatayama, T., Kato, J., Tokumitsu, E., Miura, N., and Oomori, T.: High channel mobility 4H-SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor with low temperature metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition grown Al2O3 gate insulator. Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 183503 (2008).Google Scholar
Lichtenwalner, D.L., Misra, V., Dhar, S., Ryu, S-H., and Agarwal, A.: High-mobility enhancement-mode 4H-SiC lateral field-effect transistors utilizing atomic layer deposited Al2O3 gate dielectric. Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 152113 (2009).Google Scholar
Li, H., Dimitrijev, S., Harrison, H.B., and Sweatman, D.: Interfacial characteristics of N2O and NO nitrided SiO2 grown on SiC by rapid thermal processing. Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 2028 (1997).Google Scholar
Chung, G.Y., Tin, C.C., Williams, J.R., McDonald, K., Chanana, R.K., Weller, R.A., Pantelides, S.T., Feldman, L.C., Holland, O.W., Das, M.K., and Palmour, J.W.: Improved inversion channel mobility for 4H-SiC MOSFETs following high temperature anneals in nitric oxide. IEEE Electron Device Lett. 22, 176 (2001).Google Scholar
Poggi, A., Moscatelli, F., Solmi, S., and Nipoti, R.: Investigation on the use of nitrogen implantation to improve the performance of n-channel enhancement 4H-SiC MOSFETs. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 55, 2021 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, X., Ahyi, A.C., Li, M., Chen, Z., Rozen, J., Feldman, L.C., and Williams, J.R.: The effect of nitrogen plasma anneals on interface trap density and channel mobility for 4H-SiC MOS devices. Solid-State Electron. 57, 76 (2011).Google Scholar
Rozen, J., Dhar, S., Zvanut, M.E., Williams, J.R., and Feldman, L.C.: Density of interface states, electron traps, and hole traps as a function of the nitrogen density in SiO2 on SiC. J. Appl. Phys. 105, 124506 (2009).Google Scholar
Shirasawa, T., Hayashi, K., Yoshida, H., Mizuno, S., Tanaka, S., Muro, T., Tamenori, Y., Harada, Y., Tokushima, T., Horikawa, Y., Kobayashi, E., Kinoshita, T., Shin, S., Takahashi, T., Ando, Y., Akagi, K., Tsuneyuki, S., and Tochihara, H.: Atomic-layer-resolved band-gap structure of an ultrathin oxynitride-silicon film epitaxially grown on 6H-SiC. Phys. Rev. B 79, 241301 (2009).Google Scholar
Nicollian, E.H. and Brews, J.R.: in Metal Oxide Semiconductor, Physics and Technology (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1982).Google Scholar
Dhar, S., Pantelides, S.T., Williams, J.R., and Feldman, L.C.: Silicon dioxide-silicon carbide interfaces: Current status and recent advances, in Defects in Microelectronic Materials and Devices, edited by Fleetwood, D.M., Pantelides, S.T., and Schrimpf, R.D. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2009); p. 575.Google Scholar
Li, H., Dimitrijev, S., Sweatman, D., Harrison, H.B., Tanner, P., and Feil, B.: Investigation of nitric oxide and Ar annealed SiO2/SiC interfaces by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. J. Appl. Phys. 86, 4316 (1999).Google Scholar
Amy, F., Soukiassian, P., Hwu, Y.K., and Brylinski, C.: Si-rich 6H- and 4H-SiC(0001) 3x3 surface oxidation and initial SiO2/SiC interface formation from 25 to 650 °C. Phys. Rev. B 65, 165323 (2002).Google Scholar
Bernhardt, J., Schardt, J., Starke, U., and Heinz, K.: Epitaxially ideal oxide-semiconductor interfaces: Silicate adlayers on hexagonal (0001) and (000-1) SiC surfaces. Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 1084 (1999).Google Scholar
Tsuchida, H., Kamata, I., and Izumi, K.: Infrared spectroscopy of hydrides on the 6H-SiC surface. Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 3072 (1997).Google Scholar
Sieber, N., Seyller, Th., Ley, L., James, D., Riley, J.D., Leckey, R.C.G., and Polcik, M.: Synchrotron x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of hydrogen-terminated 6H-SiC{0001} surfaces. Phys. Rev. B 67, 205304 (2003).Google Scholar
Tilak, V., Matocha, K., and Dunne, G.: Electron-scattering mechanisms in heavily doped silicon carbide MOSFET inversion layers. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 54, 2823 (2007).Google Scholar