Enhanced Reverse Recovery Performance in Superjunction MOSFET with Reduced Hole-Barrier

High reverse recovery charge (QRR) and resultant high switching losses have become the main factors that constrain the performance and application area of superjunction MOSFET (SJ-MOSFET). To reduce QRR, an SJ-MOSFET with reduced hole-barrier is proposed and demonstrated. By introducing a Schottky contact on the bottom of the n-pillar at the drain side, the barrier for the hole carrier is dramatically reduced in the reverse conduction state. As a result, the hole carrier in the drift region is significantly reduced, which results in a low QRR and enhanced reverse recovery performance. Compared with the conventional SJ-MOSFET (Conv-SJ-MOSFET), the proposed device achieves 64.6% lower QRR with almost no sacrifice in other characteristics. The attenuated QRR accounts for a 19.6% ~ 46.8% reduction in total power losses with operation frequency at 5 ~ 200 kHz, demonstrating the great potential of the proposed SJ-MOSFET used in power conversion systems.

Materials and Processes for Schottky Contacts on Silicon Carbide

Silicon carbide (4H-SiC) Schottky diodes have reached a mature level of technology and are today essential elements in many applications of power electronics. In this context, the study of Schottky barriers on 4H-SiC is of primary importance, since a deeper understanding of the metal/4H-SiC interface is the prerequisite to improving the electrical properties of these devices. To this aim, over the last three decades, many efforts have been devoted to developing the technology for 4H-SiC-based Schottky diodes. In this review paper, after a brief introduction to the fundamental properties and electrical characterization of metal/4H-SiC Schottky barriers, an overview of the best-established materials and processing for the fabrication of Schottky contacts to 4H-SiC is given. Afterwards, besides the consolidated approaches, a variety of nonconventional methods proposed in literature to control the Schottky barrier properties for specific applications is presented. Besides the possibility of gaining insight into the physical characteristics of the Schottky contact, this subject is of particular interest for the device makers, in order to develop a new class of Schottky diodes with superior characteristics.

Dopamine-Sensing Characteristics and Mechanism by Using N2/O2 Annealing in Pt/Ti/n-Si Structure

Dopamine detection by using N2/O2 annealing in a Pt/Ti/n-Si structure is investigated for the first time. To achieve repeatable and stable dopamine detection, a Pt membrane is annealed at elevated temperatures of 500 to 700 °C. N2/O2 gas ambient is used to optimize the membrane. The Pt membrane with thicknesses from 5 to 2 nm is optimized. Novel Pt/Ti/n-Si Schottky contact in a metal–electrolyte–membrane–silicon (MEMS) structure detects dopamine with a low concentration of 1 pM. The Pt membrane with N2 ambient annealing shows the lowest concentration of dopamine sensing with a small volume of 10 µL, acceptable stability, and repeatability. Scan rate-dependent dopamine concentration sensing is also investigated in the two-terminal measurement method. This study is useful for the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in the near future.

A highly stable temperature sensor based on Au/Cu/n-Si Schottky barrier diodes depending on the inner metal thickness

We have fabricated the Au/n-Si (D1), Au/Cu/n-Si (D2), Au/Cu(4nm)/n-Si (D3) and Au/Cu(2nm)/n-Si (D4) Schottky-barrier diodes (SBDs). The thickness of the Cu Schottky contact (SC) films for the D2, D3, and D4 diodes has been chosen as 100, 4 and 2 nm, respectively. We have investigated the thermal sensitivity from the voltage-temperature (V-T) characteristics of the SBDs at different current levels. The V-T measurements have been made in the temperature range from 10 K to 320 K with steps of 2 K, at the different current levels from 50 nA to 141.70 µA. The V-T curves have shown a good linearity degree for all SBDs. The slope dV/dT = α or thermal sensitivity coefficient α for each diode has decreased with increasing current level from 50 nA to 141.70 µA. But, it has been seen that the SBDs with the Cu SC have approximately the same α value as independent of metal thickness at the same current level. That is, the thermal sensitivity coefficient value has changed approximately from 2.48 mV/K at 50 nA to 1.82 at 141.70 µA for the SBDs with Cu Schottky contact as independent metal thickness. Furthermore, the α versus current level plots of the diodes have exhibited a linear behavior. The intercept α0 and slope dα/dI values of the α versus current level plots have been obtained as 2.80 mV/K and -0.0843 mV/(AK) for D2, and 2.85 mV/K and -0.092 mV/(AK) for D3 and 2.83 mV/K and -0.0876 mV/(AK) for D4. These values are very close to each other and the difference between the slope (dα/dI) values is small enough to be neglected.

DIAGNOSIS OF SEMICONDUCTOR HETEROSYSTEMS USING THE PHOTOVOLTAIC METHOD

The diagnostic method is as follows: the lateral photo-EMF spectral characteristics are measured, generated in the structure (or device) when illuminated by wavelength light with a near the edge of the basic semiconductor layer. For illustrations of efficiency method the given part of the measurement results for Schottky contact samples with a nitrogen concentration of 5% and a thermal annealing temperature of 900 and 950°C. It has been found that a significant character and a small amplitude of such a characteristic indicates qualitative at a homogeneity and the necessary magnitude of the potential barrier (or barriers), that it is necessary to form to make Schottky contact or other structure. A significant characteristic and a small amplitude of such a characteristic indicates a qualitative one-line and the required value of a potential barrier (or barriers) that must be formed for the manufacture of a semiconductor structure or device. If the spectral characteristic has one maximum and amplitude that is many times higher than the amplitude of a significant characteristic, then this indicates a formed transition layer between components of heterosystems with high, compared with a quasine-power region of semiconductor, conductivity. The presence of such a layer increases the probability breaks down of the microelectronic device. Investigation of the distribution of lateral photours along the metal semiconductor interface compliant interpretation of spectral characteristics features. The linear significant form of distribution of EMF confirms the presence of a transition layer with a lower doping level compared with GaAs. An important feature of the diagnostic method is its non-destructive character, as well as the possibility of applying to semiconductor or devices based on them, in which the photovoltaic effect may occur.

Simulation study for GaN-based hybrid trench MOS barrier Schottky diode with an embedded p-type NiO termination: increased forward current density and enhanced breakdown voltage

In this work, a hybrid trench MOS barrier Schottky diode (TMBS) structure is proposed to improve both the forward current density and the breakdown voltage (BV) by using TCAD simulation tools. The hybrid structure means that the conventional TMBS rectifier is combined with a p-NiO/n-GaN diode. This can modulate the lateral energy bands by removing the conduction band barriers for electrons. Thus, the improved current spreading effect and the better conductivity modulation can be obtained, leading to the increased current density. Meanwhile, the embedded p-type NiO layer can also help to reduce the electric field at Schottky contact interface and the edge of anode contact/p-NiO layer interface. Thus, the breakdown voltage can be improved remarkably. Moreover, a detailed optimization strategy for the hybrid TMBS is also analyzed by varying the p-NiO layer thickness (TNiO) and the lengths of the anode electrode that is covered on the p-NiO layer (LA).

FEATURES STUDIES OF TRANSITION LAYERS IN SEMICONDUCTOR HETEROSYSTEMS

Studies of spectral characteristics in Schottky's contact specimens showed that photemf generated by mono­chromatic light, according to the formation mechanism, has a predominantly lateral nature, that is, in a hetero­system there are at least two areas separated by a potential barrier along the interface, with different conductivity levels. The feature of the photoemf spectral characteristics is a variations its appearance when changing the thermal annealing temperature of the studied heterosystems. A significant characteristic and a small amplitude of the characteristic indicates the formation of a transition layer, relatively homogeneous and with insignificant, compared with the volume of GaAs, the doping concentration. If the spectral characteristic has one maximum and amplitude, which several times exceeds the amplitude of a significant characteristic, which means the formation of a transition layer in the Schottky contact depletion area with high conductivity, compared with a quasine-neutral region of a semiconductor. The distribution of lateral photoemf along the sample also has a significant character. In order to obtain the correct results relative to the heterosystem transition layer, it is necessary to measure spectral acute characteristics at a distance from the point change sign of the emf that several times the diffusion length of non-equilibrium charge carriers in GaAs. The problem of the formation of a metal-semiconductor contact and other heterosystems accompanied by the occurrence of heterogeneous transition layers, always paid attention. The use of the proposed photovoltaic method allows to establish the degree of homogeneity of semiconductor layers, components of the structure and predict the redistribution of current density flowing through the physical scope of the device.

Normally-off GaN HEMTs with InGaN p-gate cap layer formed by polarization doping

Narrow gate margin has been the critical limiting factor for the p-gate normally-off GaN HEMTs, imposing significant challenges in both gate-drive design and gate reliability. In this work, by developing dopant-free p-type polarization doping technique in composition-graded InGaN layer, high-quality Schottky contact between the gate metal and cap layer was demonstrated, achieving excellent gate current blocking performance (10-6 mA/mm) after the turning-on of the gate heterojunction structure. Resultantly, normally-off GaN HEMTs with enhanced gate breakdown voltage up to 15.2 V was realized, being especially beneficial for the simplification of gate drive design and the safe operation of gate terminal.