Effects of nitridation on SiC/SiO2 structures studied by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

DOI: 10.1088/2515-7655/ab8c5e

Authors: Judith Veronika Berens (Kompetenzzentrum Automobil- und Industrieelektronik GmbH) , Sebastian Bichelmaier (Kompetenzzentrum Automobil- und Industrieelektronik GmbH) , Nathalie K. Fernando (University College London (UCL)) , Pardeep Kumar Thakur (Diamond Light Source) , Tien-Lin Lee (Diamond Light Source) , Manfred Mascheck (Scienta Omicron GmbH) , Tomas Wiell (Scienta Omicron AB) , Susanna K. Eriksson (Scienta Omicron AB) , J. Matthias Kahk (Imperial College London) , Johannes Lischner (Imperial College London) , Manesh Mistry (University College London) , Thomas Aichinger (Infineon Austria) , Gregor Pobegen (Kompetenzzentrum Automobil- und Industrieelektronik GmbH) , Anna Regoutz (University College London)
Co-authored by industrial partner: Yes

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Journal Of Physics: Energy

State: Published (Approved)
Published: April 2020
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 19885

Abstract: SiC is set to enable a new era in power electronics impacting a wide range of energy technologies, from electric vehicles to renewable energy. Its physical characteristics outperform silicon in many aspects, including band gap, breakdown field, and thermal conductivity. The main challenge for further development of SiC-based power semiconductor devices is the quality of the interface between SiC and its native dielectric SiO2. High temperature nitridation processes can improve the interface quality and ultimately the device performance immensely, but the underlying chemical processes are still poorly understood. Here, we present an energy-dependent hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) study probing non-destructively SiC and SiO2 and their interface in device stacks treated in varying atmospheres. We successfully combine laboratory- and synchrotron-based HAXPES to provide unique insights into the chemistry of interface defects and their passivation through nitridation processes.

Diamond Keywords: Electric Vehicles

Subject Areas: Chemistry, Materials, Energy


Instruments: I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis

Added On: 07/05/2020 09:31

Documents:
Berens+et+al_2020_J._Phys._Energy_10.1088_2515-7655_ab8c5e.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Earth Sciences & Environment Sustainable Energy Systems Energy Physics Climate Change Physical Chemistry Electronics Energy Materials Chemistry Materials Science

Technical Tags:

Spectroscopy X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES)