The fabrication and characterization of ion-implanted germanium-incorporated silicon-carbide diodes and transistors
Date
2006
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The unique material properties of Silicon-Carbide (SiC) make it a superior choice over Silicon or Gallium-Arsenide for applications in power electronics. Unfortunately, SiC semiconductor technology was only developed in recent years and its processes are still immature. Additionally, proper lattice matched compatible elements and alloy materials are rare, which gives other wide-bandgap materials, such as Gallium-Nitride, dominance. Furthermore, the well-established standard CMOS processes can not be applied to SiC in all cases. Finding proper complementary elements and alloys could bring SiC into competition with other wide-bandgap materials again. This thesis describes the incorporation of Germanium (Ge) in SiC as a way of bandgap engineering. Alloying with Germanium is believed to lower the bandgap of SiC, therefore using it to create heterojunction devices. I will introduce Ge-alloyed SiC heterojunction diodes, transistors and Schottky-barrier diodes, and address its advantages over their isomaterial devices. The design of the above mentioned devices will be reported, as well as all fabrication steps. Finally, a thorough analysis and evaluation will be concluded based on device measurements.