The carbon vacancy (VC) is a major point defect in high-purity 4H-SiC epitaxial layers limiting the minority charge carrier lifetime. In layers grown by chemical vapor deposition techniques, the VC concentration is typically in the range of 1012 cm−3, and after device processing at temperatures approaching 2000 °C, it can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude. In the present study, both as-grown layers and a high-temperature processed one have been annealed at 1500 °C and the VC concentration is demonstrated to be strongly reduced, exhibiting a value of only a few times 1011 cm−3 as determined by deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements. The value is reached already after annealing times on the order of 1 h and is evidenced to reflect thermodynamic equilibrium under C-rich ambient conditions. The physical processes controlling the kinetics for establishment of the VC equilibrium are estimated to have an activation energy below ∼3 eV and both in-diffusion of carbon interstitials and out-diffusion of VC's are discussed as candidates. This concept of VC elimination is flexible and readily integrated in a materials and device processing sequence.
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21 December 2015
Research Article|
December 22 2015
Elimination of carbon vacancies in 4H-SiC employing thermodynamic equilibrium conditions at moderate temperatures
H. M. Ayedh;
H. M. Ayedh
1
University of Oslo
, Department of Physics/Center for Materials Science and Nanotechnology, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
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R. Nipoti
;
R. Nipoti
2Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche,
Istituto di Microelettronica e Microsistemi
, Sezione di Bologna (CNR-IMM of Bologna), I-40129 Bologna, Italy
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A. Hallén;
A. Hallén
3
Royal Institute of Technology
, School of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), SE-164 40 Kista-Stockholm, Sweden
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B. G. Svensson
B. G. Svensson
1
University of Oslo
, Department of Physics/Center for Materials Science and Nanotechnology, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
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Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 252102 (2015)
Article history
Received:
September 30 2015
Accepted:
December 04 2015
Citation
H. M. Ayedh, R. Nipoti, A. Hallén, B. G. Svensson; Elimination of carbon vacancies in 4H-SiC employing thermodynamic equilibrium conditions at moderate temperatures. Appl. Phys. Lett. 21 December 2015; 107 (25): 252102. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4938242
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