Evolution of the electrical characteristics of Pt/3C‐SiC Schottky contacts upon thermal annealing

In this paper, the evolution of the electrical characteristics of Pt Schottky contacts to cubic silicon carbide (3C‐SiC) upon annealing was investigated. The Pt/3C‐SiC system was structurally and electrically characterized upon annealing in the temperature range 500° C–900° C. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) showed the formation of platinum silicide $(Pt2Si)$ starting at an annealing temperature of 500° C. After metal preparation, the current‐voltage (I–V) characteristics of Pt/3C‐SiC diodes exhibited a lower leakage current and a higher Schottky barrier height with respect to the previously studied Au/3C‐SiC system [1]. A further improvement was observed after annealing at 500° C, and attributed to the consumption of a SiC surface‐layer by the reaction, thus reducing the influence of the original interface states. On the other hand, annealing at higher temperatures (700° C and 900° C) caused a degradation of the contact properties, which can be related to the evolution of carbon clusters released during reaction.