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Electrostatic Force Microscopy and Secondary Electron Imaging of Double Stacking Faults in Heavily n-type 4H-SiC after Oxidation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

M. K. Mikhov ,
B. J. Skromme ,
R. Wang ,
C. Li  and
I. Bhat
M. K. Mikhov
Affiliation:
Dept of Electrical Engineering and Center for Solid State Electronics Research, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287–5706, U.S.A.
B. J. Skromme
Affiliation:
Dept of Electrical Engineering and Center for Solid State Electronics Research, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287–5706, U.S.A.
R. Wang
Affiliation:
ECSE Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180–3590, U.S.A
C. Li
Affiliation:
ECSE Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180–3590, U.S.A
I. Bhat
Affiliation:
ECSE Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180–3590, U.S.A
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Abstract

Thermal processing or oxidation of 4H-SiC with n-type doping above about 3×1019 cm-3 is known to produce double Shockley stacking faults spontaneously. The resulting region of 3C stacking order acts like a quantum well in the 4H matrix and becomes negatively charged due to modulation doping. Some of these quantum well regions penetrate into the lightly-doped epilayers and intersect the wafer surface as straight lines, due to the 8° misorientation of the wafer from the c-axis. These intersections appear as bright lines in secondary electron images, which we tentatively attribute to increased secondary electron yield due to repulsion of secondary electrons from the negative charge in the quantum wells. Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) also produce clear images of the quantum well intersections, independent of surface topography. These images are similar to the SEM images.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 799: Symposium Z – Progress in Compound Semiconductor Materials III - Electronic and Optoelectronic Applications , 2003 , Z5.21
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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References

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