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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 30083

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Dr. Yasuto Hijikata

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Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
Interests: wide-bandgap semiconductors (diamond, silicon carbide, gallium nitride, gallium oxide, boron nitride, etc.); photoluminescence; imaging; point defects; dislocations; stacking faults; single-photon sources; electron spins; spintronics; nano/quantum structure; quantum beam irradiation; quantum entanglement; quantum sensor; quantum information technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a compound semiconductor composed of Si and diamond (C). This means that SiC has the advantages of both Si and C. Advances in the crystal growth technologies of SiC have enabled the mass production of large-scale wafer and, in addition, the device fabrication techniques of SiC have been consistently matured, which are similar to the case of Si. On the other hand, SiC is a very firm and wide bandgap material, features which are common to diamond. Accordingly, also SiC enables the epoch-making technologies of diamond such as ultra-low power-loss devices for eco-electronics, radiation-resistive electronics for nuclear/aerospace applications, and realizations of room temperature and ambient pressure drivable quantum devices. Furthermore, SiC has advantages as a compound semiconductor such as crystallographic polarity, quantum effect nano-structures (e.g., stacking fault), and so on.

This Special Issue of Materials, entitled “SiC Materials and Applications” is focused on recent progress in all topics related to SiC materials and devices. We invite the submission of research articles (full papers, communications, and reviews) focusing on recent developments in the crystal growth, processing, design, modeling, and characterization of SiC materials and devices.

We will accept articles in distinct areas of applications and a wide range of topics on both experimental and theoretical works, and the topics to be covered in this Special Issue will include but are not limited to:

-Bulk/epitaxial growth and wafer manufacturing;

-Defect visualization, characterization, and engineering

-Device processing, modeling and design, including their underlying physics;

-Surfaces and interfaces (including MOS interfaces) characterizations and processing;

-Fundamental properties and technologies for quantum device applications;

-Device physics in power, radiation-hard, optical, bio-medical, etc. applications.

Prof. Yasuto Hijikata
Guest Editor

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Keywords

silicon carbide
power devices
defect engineering
MOS interface
radiation-hard devices
technologies for quantum application

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simulations of the Ultra-Fast Kinetics in Ni-Si-C Ternary Systems under Laser Irradiation

by Salvatore Sanzaro, Corrado Bongiorno, Paolo Badalà, Anna Bassi, Ioannis Deretzis, Marius Enachescu, Giovanni Franco, Giuseppe Fisicaro, Patrizia Vasquez, Alessandra Alberti and Antonino La Magna

Materials 2021, 14(16), 4769; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164769 - 23 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1912

Abstract

We present a method for the simulation of the kinetic evolution in the sub µs timescale for composite materials containing regions occupied by alloys, compounds, and mixtures belonging to the Ni-Si-C ternary system. Pulsed laser irradiation (pulses of the order of 100 ns) promotes this evolution. The simulation approach is formulated in the framework of the phase-field theory and it consists of a system of coupled non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs), which considers as variables the following fields: the laser electro-magnetic field, the temperature, the phase-field and the material (Ni, Si, C, C clusters and Ni-silicides) densities. The model integrates a large set of materials and reaction parameters which could also self-consistently depend on the model variables. A parameter calibration is also proposed, specifically suited for the wavelength of a widely used class of excimer lasers (λ = 308 nm). The model is implemented on a proprietary laser annealing technology computer-aided design (TCAD) tool based on the finite element method (FEM). This integration allows, in principle, numerical solutions in systems of any dimension. Here we discuss the complex simulation trend in the one-dimensional case, considering as a starting state, thin films on 4H-SiC substrates, i.e., a configuration reproducing a technologically relevant case study. Simulations as a function of the laser energy density show an articulated scenario, also induced by the variables’ dependency of the materials’ parameters, for the non-melting, partial-melting and full-melting process conditions. The simulation results are validated by post-process experimental analyses of the microstructure and composition of the irradiated samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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16 pages, 3860 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Correlation between Defects and Electrical Performances of Ion-Irradiated 4H-SiC p–n Junctions

by Domenico Pellegrino, Lucia Calcagno, Massimo Zimbone, Salvatore Di Franco and Antonella Sciuto

Materials 2021, 14(8), 1966; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14081966 - 14 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2521

Abstract

In this study, 4H-SiC p–n junctions were irradiated with 700 keV He⁺ ions in the fluence range 1.0 × 10¹² to 1.0 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm². The effects of irradiation were investigated by current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements, while deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) was used to study the traps introduced by irradiation defects. Modifications of the device’s electrical performances were observed after irradiation, and two fluence regimes were identified. In the low fluence range (≤10¹³ ions/cm²), I–V characteristics evidenced an increase in series resistance, which can be associated with the decrease in the dopant concentration, as also denoted by C–V measurements. In addition, the pre-exponential parameter of junction generation current increased with fluence due to the increase in point defect concentration. The main produced defect states were the Z_1/2, RD_1/2, and EH_6/7 centers, whose concentrations increased with fluence. At high fluence (>10¹³ ions/cm²), I–V curves showed a strong decrease in the generation current, while DLTS evidenced a rearrangement of defects. The detailed electrical characterization of the p–n junction performed at different temperatures highlights the existence of conduction paths with peculiar electrical properties introduced by high fluence irradiation. The results suggest the formation of localized highly resistive regions (realized by agglomeration of point defects) in parallel with the main junction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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12 pages, 22648 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Extended Hückel Semi-Empirical Approach as an Efficient Method for Structural Defects Analysis in 4H-SiC

by Janusz Wozny, Andrii Kovalchuk, Jacek Podgorski and Zbigniew Lisik

Materials 2021, 14(5), 1247; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051247 - 06 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2061

Abstract

This paper presents an efficient method to calculate the influence of structural defects on the energy levels and energy band-gap for the 4H-SiC semiconductor. The semi-empirical extended Hückel method was applied to both ideal 4H-SiC crystal and different structures with defects like vacancies, stacking faults, and threading edge dislocations. The Synopsys QuatumATK package was used to perform the simulations. The results are in good agreement with standard density functional theory (DFT) methods and the computing time is much lower. This means that a structure with ca. 1000 atoms could be easily modeled on typical computing servers within a few hours of computing time, enabling fast and accurate simulation of non-ideal atomic structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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11 pages, 2501 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Epitaxial Growth and Characterization of 4H-SiC for Neutron Detection Applications

by Alessandro Meli, Annamaria Muoio, Antonio Trotta, Laura Meda, Miriam Parisi and Francesco La Via

Materials 2021, 14(4), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040976 - 19 Feb 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3516

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to study the 4H-SiC epitaxial layer properties for the fabrication of a device for neutron detection as an alternative material to diamond detectors used in this field. We have studied a high growth rate process to grow a thick epitaxial layer (250 µm) of 4H-SiC and, in order to estimate the quality of the epitaxial layer, an optical characterization was done through Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy for stacking fault defect evaluation. Micro Raman spectroscopy was used for simultaneous determination of both carrier lifetime and induced carriers in equilibrium. We have compared these results with other two samples with an epitaxial layer of 100 micron, obtained with two different growth rates, 60 and 90 µm/h, respectively. From Raman measurements it has been observed that both the growth rate and the grown epitaxial layer thickness have an effect on the measured carrier lifetime. A comparison between different kinds of stacking faults (SF) was done, evaluating the influence of these defects on the carrier lifetime as a function of the injection level and it was observed that only at a low injection is the effect on the carrier lifetime low. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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7 pages, 2026 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Gas Annealing on Sensitivity of AlN/4H-SiC-Based Temperature Sensors

by Seung-Woo Jung, Myeong-Cheol Shin, Michael A. Schweitz, Jong-Min Oh and Sang-Mo Koo

Materials 2021, 14(3), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030683 - 02 Feb 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2481

Abstract

In this study, the physical and electrical characteristics of an AlN/4H-SiC Schottky barrier diode-based temperature sensor annealed in various gas atmospheres were investigated. An aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film was deposited on a 4H-SiC substrate via radio-frequency sputtering followed by annealing in N₂ or O₂ gas. The chemical composition of the film was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) before and after annealing, and its electrical properties were evaluated by plotting a current–voltage (I–V) curve. The voltage–temperature (V–T) characteristics of the sensor were extracted from the current–voltage–temperature (I–V–T) plots constructed in the temperature range between 475 and 300 K in steps of 25 K. Sensitivities of 9.77, 9.37, and 2.16 mV/K were obtained for the as-grown, N₂-annealed, and O₂-annealed samples, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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15 pages, 5789 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Impact of Process Conditions on Surge Current Capability of 1.2 kV SiC JBS and MPS Diodes

by Hongyi Xu, Na Ren, Jiupeng Wu, Zhengyun Zhu, Qing Guo and Kuang Sheng

Materials 2021, 14(3), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030663 - 31 Jan 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2448

Abstract

This paper demonstrated the impact of process conditions on the surge current capability of 1.2 kV SiC junction barrier Schottky diode (JBS) and merged PiN Schottky diode (MPS). The influence of ohmic contact and defect density produced by implantation was studied in the simulation. The device fabricated with high temperature implantation had less defect density in the implant region compared with room temperature implantation, which contributed to higher hole injection in surge current mode and 20% surge capability improvement. In addition, with lower P+ ohmic contact resistance, the device had higher surge capability. When compared to device fabrication with a single Schottky metal layer in the device active area, adding additional P+ ohmic contact on top of the P+ regions in the device active area resulted in the pn junctions sharing a greater portion of surge current, and improved the devices’ surge capability by ~10%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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11 pages, 2447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of (SiC-AlN)/ZrB₂ Composite with Nano-Micron Hybrid Microstructure via PCS-Derived Ceramics Route

by Aidong Xia, Jie Yin, Xiao Chen, Zhengren Huang, Xuejian Liu and Wei Liu

Materials 2021, 14(2), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14020334 - 11 Jan 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1732

Abstract

In this work, a (SiC-AlN)/ZrB₂ composite with outstanding mechanical properties was prepared by using polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) and hot-pressing technique. Flexural strength reached up to 460 ± 41 MPa, while AlN and ZrB₂ contents were 10 wt%, and 15 wt%, respectively, under a hot-pressing temperature of 2000 °C. XRD pattern-evidenced SiC generated by pyrolysis of polycarbosilane (PCS) was mainly composed by 2H-SiC and 4H-SiC, both belonging to α-SiC. Micron-level ZrB₂ secondary phase was observed inside the (SiC-AlN)/ZrB₂ composite, while the mean grain size (MGS) of SiC-AlN matrix was approximately 97 nm. This unique nano-micron hybrid microstructure enhanced the mechanical properties. The present investigation provided a feasible tactic for strengthening ceramics from PDCs raw materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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12 pages, 4587 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On Investigating the Microstructural, Mechanical, and Tribological Properties of Hybrid FeGr1/SiC/Gr Metal Matrix Composites

by Eugene E. Feldshtein, Larisa N. Dyachkova and Justyna Patalas-Maliszewska

Materials 2021, 14(1), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14010174 - 01 Jan 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1925

Abstract

In recent years, studies of different properties of hybrid metal matrix composites, as well as very detailed issues, have been published. In this article, ready-made iron, graphite, and silicon carbide powders were used to produce the base material and composites. An analysis of some microstructural and mechanical properties, as well as the tribological behavior of metal matrix composites (MMCs), based on FeGr1 sintered material with the single and hybrid addition of a silicon carbide and graphite was undertaken. During the study, the flexural and compressive strength of MMCs were analyzed and changes of the momentary coefficient of friction, the temperature of friction, as well as wear rates of the MMCs tested were monitored. Based on the results, it was revealed that wear rates decreased 12-fold in comparison to the base material when SiC or SiC + Gr were added. Further research into MMCs with ceramic particle additives is proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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11 pages, 2737 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of SiC Addition to Al₂O₃ Ceramics Used in Cutting Tools

by Edwin Gevorkyan, Mirosław Rucki, Sergey Panchenko, Dmitry Sofronov, Leszek Chałko and Tomasz Mazur

Materials 2020, 13(22), 5195; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13225195 - 17 Nov 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2112

Abstract

In this study, the effect of the addition of silicon carbide to alumina ceramics commonly used in cutting tool applications is addressed. Performance of Al₂O₃–SiC composite cutting inserts during the machining of hardened steels and ductile iron was compared to the results obtained for a cutting tool made out of 99 wt.% Al₂O₃, Al₂O₃–TiC, Al₂O₃–TiC–ZrO₂, and Al₂O₃–TiN. In almost all tests, the composite with silicon carbide demonstrated better wear resistance, longer tool lifetime, and the ability to cut at higher speeds. The enhanced properties of cutting tools with SiC can be attributed to the morphology and dimensions of the inclusions in the matrix as well as to the strength of the interphase boundaries, small porosity, and lack of high inner stresses in the volume. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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12 pages, 3893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Factors Influencing the Occurrence of 3C-Inclusions for the Thick Growth of on-Axis C-Face 4H-SiC Epitaxial Layers

by Keiko Masumoto, Kazutoshi Kojima and Hiroshi Yamaguchi

Materials 2020, 13(21), 4818; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13214818 - 28 Oct 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2154

Abstract

In this study, we grew homoepitaxial layers on 3-inch on-axis carbon-face 4H-silicon carbide substrates and attempted to suppress the generation of 3C-inclusions. It was found that the 3C-inclusion density decreased with increasing time spent on reaching an objective flow rate for the precursors. It is suggested that 3C-SiC nucleation occurred on large terraces of the on-axis substrates, which existed before the substrates were covered with spiral hillocks. This nucleation was suppressed owing to the decrease in the degree of supersaturation at the initial growth stage. Moreover, we found that the 3C-inclusions were also generated owing to contamination in the form of graphite products. Furthermore, we succeeded in growing a thick on-axis 4H-SiC homoepitaxial layer on a 3-inch substrate and demonstrating its free-standing epitaxial layer with a thickness of 182 μm and a 3C-inclusion density of 2.0 cm⁻². Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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8 pages, 1483 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication and Characterization of Oxygenated AlN/4H-SiC Heterojunction Diodes

by Dong-Hyeon Kim, Seong-Ji Min, Jong-Min Oh and Sang-Mo Koo

Materials 2020, 13(19), 4335; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13194335 - 29 Sep 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2207

Abstract

The effects of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) made from oxygenated aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films deposited on a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate using radio frequency sputtering were investigated. The annealed SBD devices exhibited a 10x increase in the on/off current ratio vs. non-annealed devices for measurement temperatures ranging from 300 K to 450 K. The ideality factor, derived from the current density–voltage (J-V) characterization, increased by a factor of ~2.2 after annealing, whereas the barrier height decreased from ~0.91 to ~0.68 eV. Additionally, Auger electron spectroscopy indicated decreased concentrations of atomic oxygen in the AlN thin film, from ~36% before, to ~24% after annealing. This may have contributed to the reduced barrier height and improved on/off ratio in the annealed AlN/SiC diodes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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14 pages, 4157 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Rheological Behavior of Micro/Nano-Silicon Carbide Particles in Ethanol by Selecting Efficient Dispersants

by Guoqiang Luo, Zhuang Zhang, Jianian Hu, Jian Zhang, Yi Sun, Qiang Shen and Lianmeng Zhang

Materials 2020, 13(7), 1496; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13071496 - 25 Mar 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2816

Abstract

A colloidal stability study of a nonaqueous silicon carbide suspension is of great significance for preparing special silicon carbide ceramics by colloidal processing. In this paper, three different chemical dispersants, which are amphiphilic, acidophilic, and alkaliphilic, are selected to compare their ability to stabilize nonaqueous slurries of silicon carbide. The analysis of the flow index factor is first used to estimate the colloidal stability of the suspensions. The results show that the addition of only 5 wt.% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) forms a silicon carbide slurry with a low viscosity value of 17 mPa⋅s at 25 s⁻¹. In addition, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)measurements indicate that the PVP molecule is successfully adsorbed on the surface of silicon carbide. The different adsorption models are fitted, and the adsorption of PVP molecules on the surface of silicon carbide belongs to the Langmuir single-layer adsorption model. At the optimal PVP amount, the volume content of the suspension is as high as 22.27 vol.%, a Newtonian-like fluid still appears, and no agglomerate structure is formed in the system. After the volume content exceeds 22.27 vol.%, the flow index factor of the slurry begins to plummet, indicating that the slurry begins to transform from a Newtonian-like fluid to a shear-thinning fluid. The particles undergo inevitable agglomeration accompanied by the emergence of yield stress. Finally, a maximum solid loading of the system is predicted to be 46 vol.%, using the Krieger-Dougherty model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue SiC Materials and Applications)

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