Improved electrical properties of n-n and p-n Si/SiC junctions with thermal annealing treatment.

The effects of annealing process on the electrical properties of n+-Si/n-SiC and p+-Si/n-SiC junctions fabricated by using surface-activated bonding are investigated. It is found by measuring the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of n+-Si/n-SiC junctions that the reverse-bias current and the ideality factor decreased to 2.0×10-5mA/cm² and 1.10, respectively, after the junctions annealing at 700 °C. The flat band voltages of n+-Si/n-SiC and p+-Si/n-SiC junctions obtained from capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements decreased with increasing annealing temperature. Furthermore, their flat band voltages are very close to each other irrespective of the annealing temperature change, which suggests that the Fermi level is still pinned at the bonding interface even for the junctions annealing at high temperature and the interface state density causing Fermi level pinning varies with the junctions annealing. The reverse characteristics of n+ -Si/n-SiC junctions are in good agreement with the calculations based on thermionic field emission. In addition, the calculated donor concentration of 4H-SiC epi-layers and flat band voltage is consistent with the values obtained from C-V measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]