Degradation of Current Gain in SiC BJTs

2006 ◽  
Vol 911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anant Agarwal ◽  
Sumi Krishnaswami ◽  
James Richmond ◽  
Craig Capell ◽  
Sei-Hyung Ryu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stacking Faults ◽  
Surface Recombination ◽  
Stacking Fault ◽  
Current Gain ◽  
Initial Observation ◽  
Emitter Region

AbstractThe reduction in the current gain of SiC BJTs has been observed after operating the devices for as little as 15 minutes. It is accompanied by an increase in the on-resistance of the BJT. The origin of the current gain degradation in the BJTs is investigated. Two possible mechanisms, which may be simultaneously present in the device, are thought to be responsible: (a) increase in the surface recombination particularly in the region between the emitter and the base implant, and (b) bulk recombination in the base due to the generation and growth of stacking faults. Initial observation reveals the presence of stacking fault in the base-emitter region when the device is forward-biased. At the same time, minimizing the effect of recombination from the surface using improved passivation helped in the suppression of the current gain degradation in SiC BJTs.

Temperature Modeling and Characterization of the Current Gain in 4H-SiC Power BJTs

2010 ◽  
Vol 645-648 ◽  
pp. 1061-1064
Author(s):  
Benedetto Buono ◽  
Reza Ghandi ◽  
Martin Domeij ◽  
Bengt Gunnar Malm ◽  
Carl Mikael Zetterling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Dependence ◽  
Surface Recombination ◽  
Current Gain ◽  
Positive Temperature ◽  
Interface Traps ◽  
Collector Current ◽  
Ionization Degree ◽  
High Injection ◽  
Collector Junction ◽  
Emitter Region

The current gain of 4H-SiC BJTs has been modeled using interface traps between SiC and SiO2 to describe surface recombination, by a positive temperature dependence of the carrier lifetime in the base region and by bandgap narrowing in the emitter region. The interface traps have been modeled by one single level at 1 eV above the valence band, with capture cross section of 1 × 10-15 cm2 and concentration of 2 × 1012 cm-2. The temperature behavior of SiC BJTs has been simulated and the results have been compared with measurements. An analysis of the carrier concentration has been performed in order to describe the mechanisms for fall-off of the current gain at high collector current. At room temperature high injection in the base and forward biasing of the base-collector junction occur simultaneously causing an abrupt drop of the current gain. At higher temperatures high injection in the base is alleviated by the higher ionization degree of the aluminum dopants, and then forward biasing of the base-collector junction is the only acting mechanism for the current gain fall-off at high collector current. This mechanism and the negative temperature dependence of the carrier mobility can also explain the reduction of the knee current for gain fall-off with increasing temperature. Simulations with different emitter widths have been also performed and analyzed to characterize the emitter size effect. Higher current density caused by reducing the emitter width introduces higher carrier recombination in the emitter region, leading to a reduction of the current gain.

Current Gain Degradation in 4H-SiC Power BJTs

2011 ◽  
Vol 679-680 ◽  
pp. 702-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedetto Buono ◽  
Reza Ghandi ◽  
Martin Domeij ◽  
Bengt Gunnar Malm ◽  
Carl Mikael Zetterling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Test ◽  
Stacking Faults ◽  
Current Gain ◽  
Electrical Measurements ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Emitter Region ◽  
Collector Region ◽  
Power Application ◽  
Test Current

SiC BJTs are very attractive for high power application, but long term stability is still problematic and it could prohibit commercial production of these devices. The aim of this paper is to investigate the current gain degradation in BJTs with no significant degradation of the on-resistance. Electrical measurements and simulations have been used to characterize the behavior of the BJT during the stress test. Current gain degradation occurs, the gain drops from 58 before stress to 43 after 40 hours, and, moreover, the knee current shows fluctuations in its value during the first 20 hours. Current gain degradation has been attributed to increased interface traps or reduced lifetime in the base-emitter region or small stacking faults in the base-emitter region, while fluctuations of the knee current might be due to stacking faults in the collector region.

Influence of Basal Plane Dislocation Induced Stacking Faults on the Current Gain in SiC BJTs

2006 ◽  
Vol 527-529 ◽  
pp. 1409-1412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anant K. Agarwal ◽  
Sumi Krishnaswami ◽  
Jim Richmond ◽  
Craig Capell ◽  
Sei Hyung Ryu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basal Plane ◽  
Light Emission ◽  
Stacking Faults ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Stacking Fault ◽  
Base Layer ◽  
Current Gain ◽  
Electron Hole ◽  
Basal Plane Dislocation ◽  
Hole Recombination

SiC BJTs show instability in the I-V characteristics after as little as 15 minutes of operation. The current gain reduces, the on-resistance in saturation increases, and the slope of the output characteristics in the active region increases. This degradation in the I-V characteristics continues with many hours of operation. It is speculated that this phenomenon is caused by the growth of stacking faults from certain basal plane dislocations within the base layer of the SiC BJT. Stacking fault growth within the base layer is observed by light emission imaging. The energy for this expansion of the stacking fault comes from the electron-hole recombination in the forward biased base-emitter junction. This results in reduction of the effective minority carrier lifetime, increasing the electron-hole recombination in the base in the immediate vicinity of the stacking fault, leading to a reduction in the current gain. It should be noted that this explanation is only a suggestion with no conclusive proof at this stage.

Operation of Silicon Carbide BJTs Free from Bipolar Degradation

2010 ◽  
Vol 645-648 ◽  
pp. 1057-1060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei O. Konstantinov ◽  
Martin Domeij ◽  
Carina Zaring ◽  
Imre Keri ◽  
Jan Olov Svedberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Silicon Carbide ◽  
Surface Recombination ◽  
Stacking Fault ◽  
Current Gain ◽  
Carrier Injection ◽  
Stress Tests ◽  
Base Region ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Gain Compression ◽  
Basal Plane Dislocation

The mechanisms of bipolar degradation in silicon carbide BJTs are investigated and identified. Bipolar degradation occurs as result of stacking fault (SF) growth within the low-doped collector region. A stacking fault blocks vertical current transport through the collector, driving the defective region into saturation. This results in considerable drop of emitter current gain if the BJT is run at a reasonably low collector-emitter bias. The base region does not play any significant role in bipolar degradation. Long-term stress tests have shown full stability of large-area high-power BJTs under minority carrier injection conditions provided the devices are fabricated using low Basal Plane Dislocation (BPD) material. However, an approximately 20% current gain compression is observed for the first 30-60 hours of burn-in under common emitter operation, which is related to instability of surface recombination in the passive base region.

Ab Initio Calculation of Mechanical Properties of Stacking Fault in 3C-SiC: Effect of Stress and Doping

2012 ◽  
Vol 717-720 ◽  
pp. 415-418
Author(s):  
Yoshitaka Umeno ◽  
Kuniaki Yagi ◽  
Hiroyuki Nagasawa
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Ab Initio ◽  
Density Functional ◽  
Stacking Faults ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Local Strain ◽  
Density Functional Theory Calculations ◽  
Stacking Fault ◽  
Functional Theory ◽  
N Doping

We carry out ab initio density functional theory calculations to investigate the fundamental mechanical properties of stacking faults in 3C-SiC, including the effect of stress and doping atoms (substitution of C by N or Si). Stress induced by stacking fault (SF) formation is quantitatively evaluated. Extrinsic SFs containing double and triple SiC layers are found to be slightly more stable than the single-layer extrinsic SF, supporting experimental observation. Effect of tensile or compressive stress on SF energies is found to be marginal. Neglecting the effect of local strain induced by doping, N doping around an SF obviously increase the SF formation energy, while SFs seem to be easily formed in Si-rich SiC.

Mechanism of stacking fault annihilation in 3C-SiC epitaxially grown on Si(001) by molecular dynamics simulations

CrystEngComm ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey Sarikov ◽  
Anna Marzegalli ◽  
Luca Barbisan ◽  
Massimo Zimbone ◽  
Corrado Bongiorno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Stacking Faults ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Stacking Fault ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

In this work, annihilation mechanism of stacking faults (SFs) in epitaxial 3C-SiC layers grown on Si(001) substrates is studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The evolution of SFs located in...

scholarly journals Total Dose Effects on 4H-SiC Bipolar Junction Transistors

2017 ◽  
Vol 897 ◽  
pp. 579-582
Author(s):  
Sethu Saveda Suvanam ◽  
Luigia Lanni ◽  
Bengt Gunnar Malm ◽  
Carl Mikael Zetterling ◽  
Anders Hallén
Keyword(s):  
Total Dose ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Surface Recombination ◽  
Current Gain ◽  
Bipolar Junction Transistors ◽  
Displacement Damage ◽  
Base Current ◽  
Dose Effects ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Total Dose Effects

In this work, total dose effects on 4H-SiC bipolar junction transistors (BJT) are investigated. Three 4H-SiC NPN BJT chips are irradiated with 3MeV protons with a dose of 1×1011, 1×1012 and 1×1013 cm-2, respectively. From the measured reciprocal current gain it is observed that 4H-SiC NPN BJT exposed to protons suffer both displacement damage and ionization, whereas, a traditional Si BJT suffers mainly from displacement damage. Furthermore, bulk damage introduction rates for SiC BJT were extracted to be 3.3×10-15 cm2, which is an order of magnitude lower compared to reported Si values. Finally, from detailed analysis of the base current at low injection levels, it is possible to distinguish when surface recombination leakage is dominant over bulk recombination.

Prevention of InP/InGaAs/InP Double Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors from Current Gain Reduction during Passivation

2004 ◽  
Vol 833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byoung-Gue Min ◽  
Jong-Min Lee ◽  
Seong-Il Kim ◽  
Chul-Won Ju ◽  
Kyung-Ho Lee
Keyword(s):  
Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors ◽  
Silicon Oxide ◽  
Surface Recombination ◽  
Surface States ◽  
Bipolar Transistors ◽  
Base Layer ◽  
Current Gain ◽  
Device Structure ◽  
Double Heterojunction ◽  
Gain Reduction

ABSTRACTA significant degradation of current gain of InP/InGaAs/InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors was observed after passivation. The amount of degradation depended on the degree of surface exposure of the p-type InGaAs base layer according to the epi-structure and device structure. The deposition conditions such as deposition temperature, kinds of materials (silicon oxide, silicon nitride and aluminum oxide) and film thickness were not major variables to affect the device performance. The gain reduction was prevented by the BOE treatment before the passivation. A possible explanation of this behavior is that unstable non-stoichiometric surface states produced by excess In, Ga, or As after mesa etching are eliminated by BOE treatment and reduce the surface recombination sites.

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