Negative bias-and-temperature stress-assisted activation of oxygen-vacancy hole traps in 4H-silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

We use hybrid-functional density functional theory-based Charge Transition Levels (CTLs) to study the electrical activity of near-interfacial oxygen vacancies located in the oxide side of 4H-Silicon Carbide (4H-SiC) power Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). Based on the “am...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2015-07, Vol.118 (4)
Main Authors: Ettisserry, D. P., Goldsman, N., Akturk, A., Lelis, A. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied physics
Bias
Charge density
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
Defects
DENSITY FUNCTIONAL METHOD
Density functional theory
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
Field effect transistors
High temperature
Hole traps
HOLES
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
MOSFET
MOSFETs
OXIDES
OXYGEN
Semiconductor devices
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
Silicon carbide
SILICON CARBIDES
Stability
STRESSES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
Threshold voltage
Transistors
VACANCIES
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Summary:We use hybrid-functional density functional theory-based Charge Transition Levels (CTLs) to study the electrical activity of near-interfacial oxygen vacancies located in the oxide side of 4H-Silicon Carbide (4H-SiC) power Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). Based on the “amorphousness” of their local atomic environment, oxygen vacancies are shown to introduce their CTLs either within (permanently electrically active) or outside of (electrically inactive) the 4H-SiC bandgap. The “permanently electrically active” centers are likely to cause threshold voltage (Vth) instability at room temperature. On the other hand, we show that the “electrically inactive” defects could be transformed into various “electrically active” configurations under simultaneous application of negative bias and high temperature stresses. Based on this observation, we present a model for plausible oxygen vacancy defects that could be responsible for the recently observed excessive worsening of Vth instability in 4H-SiC power MOSFETs under high temperature-and-gate bias stress. This model could also explain the recent electrically detected magnetic resonance observations in 4H-SiC MOSFETs.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.4927619