Partial dislocations and stacking faults in 4H-SiC PiN diodes

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 472 - 476
• Main Authors: TWIGG, M. E, STAHLBUSH, R. E, FATEMI, M, ARTHUR, S. D, FEDISON, J. B, TUCKER, J. B, WANG, S
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 01-05-2004; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Defects and impurities in crystals; microstructure; Diodes; Exact sciences and technology; Linear defects: dislocations, disclinations; Physics; Semiconductors; Silicon carbide; Stacking faults and other planar or extended defects; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Temperature; Threading dislocations; Transmission electron microscopy; Stacking faults; Inorganic compounds; Semiconductor materials; dislocations; p i n diodes; Silicon carbides; Binary compounds; Partial dislocation; Experimental study; PiN diode; Transmission electron microscopy; Silicon carbide; Peach-Koehler force; Stress effects; Shockley fault
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-004-0205-8

Using plan-view transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we have identified stacking faults (SFs) in 4H-SiC PiN diodes subjected to both light and heavy electrical bias. Our observations suggest that the widely expanded SFs seen after heavy bias are faulted dislocation loops that have expanded in response to strain of the 4H-SiC film, while faulted screw or 60° threading dislocations do not give rise to widely expanded SFs. Theoretical calculations show that the expansion of SFs depends on the Peach-Koehler (PK) forces on the partial dislocations bounding the SFs, indicating that strain plays a critical role in SF expansion. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT] Key words: Silicon carbide, PiN diode, transmission electron microscopy, stacking faults, dislocations