4H-SiC epilayers grown by standard and chlorinated chemistry were analyzed for their minority carrier lifetime and deep level recombination centers using time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and standard deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Next to the well-known Z(1/2) deep level a second effective lifetime killer, RB1 (activation energy 1.05 eV, electron capture cross section 2 x 10(-16) cm(2), suggested hole capture cross section (5 +/- 2) x 10(-15) cm(2)), is detected in chloride chemistry grown epilayers. Junction-DLTS and bulk recombination simulations are used to confirm the lifetime killing properties of this level. The measured RB1 concentration appears to be a function of the iron-related Fe1 level concentration, which is unintentionally introduced via the corrosion of reactor steel parts by the chlorinated chemistry. Reactor design and the growth zone temperature profile are thought to enable the formation of RB1 in the presence of iron contamination under conditions otherwise optimal for growth of material with very low Z(1/2) concentrations. The RB1 defect is either an intrinsic defect similar to RD1/2 or EH5 or a complex involving iron. Control of these corrosion issues allows the growth of material at a high growth rate and with high minority carrier lifetime based on Z(1/2) as the only bulk recombination center.

Using capacitance transient techniques, a bistable centre, called FB centre here, was observed in electron irradiated 4H-SiC. In configuration A, the deep level known as EH5 (E-a = E-C - 1.07 eV) is detected in the deep level transient spectroscopy spectrum, whereas for configuration B no obvious deep level is observed in the accessible part of the band gap. Isochronal annealing revealed the transition temperatures to be T-A -andgt; B andgt; 730K and for the opposite process T-B -andgt; A approximate to 710 K. The energy needed to conduct the transformations were determined to be E-A(A -andgt; B) = (2.1 +/- 0.1) eV and E-A(B -andgt; A) = (2.3 +/- 0.1) eV, respectively. The pre-factor indicated an atomic jump process for the opposite transition A -andgt; B and a charge carrier-emission dominated process in the case of B -andgt; A. Minority charge carrier injection enhanced the transformation from configuration B to configuration A by lowering the transition barrier by about 1.4 eV. Since the bistable FB centre is already present after low-energy electron irradiation (200 keV), it is likely related to carbon.

A review of recently achieved results with the chloride-based CVD on 8 degrees and 4 degrees off-axis and nominally on-axis 4H-SiC wafers is done to clarify the epitaxial growth mechanisms on different off-angle substrates. The process conditions selected for each off-axis angle become even more difficult when running at growth rates of 100 mu m/h or more. A fine-tuning of process parameters, mainly temperature, C/Si ratio and in situ surface preparation is necessary for each Wangle. Some trends related to the surface properties and the effective C/Si ratio existing on the surface prior to and during the epitaxial growth can be observed.

A reduced growth pressure (down to 10 Torr) was employed for the low-temperature chloro-carbon epitaxial growth. More than two times lower H-2 flow rate became possible. The optimal input H-2/Si and C/Si ratios were also lower. A significant reduction of the net free donor concentration resulted from the use of the low pressure, delivering partially compensated epilayers with the net free donor concentration below 7 x 10(13) cm(-3). Deep levels were characterized in the low-temperature epilayers for the first time. No Z(1/2) or EH6/7 centers could be detected by DLTS. No strong D-1 photoluminescence signature was observed. The high purity of the obtained epitaxial layers made it possible to use the low-temperature chloro-carbon epitaxial growth to fabricate drift regions of Schottky diodes for the first time. Promising values of the reverse breakdown voltage and the leakage current were obtained from the fabricated devices.

A commonly observed unidentified photoluminescence center in SiC is UD-1. In this report, the UD-1 center is identified to be tungsten related. The identification is based on (i) a W-doping study, the confirmation of W in the samples was made using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), (ii) the optical activation energy of the absorption of UD-1 in weakly n-type samples corresponds to the activation energy of the deep tungsten center observed using DLTS. The tungsten-related optical centers are reported in 4H-, 6H-, and 15R-SiC. Further, a crystal field model for a tungsten atom occupying a Si-site is suggested. This crystal field model is in agreement with the experimental data available: polarization, temperature dependence and magnetic field splitting.

Several optically observed deep level defects in SiC are still unidentified and little is published on their behavior. One of the commonly observed deep level defects in semi-insulating SiC is UD-1. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanThis report suggests that UD-1 is Tungsten related, based on a doping study and previously reported deep level transient spectroscopy data, as well as photo-induced absorption measurements. The electronic levels involved in the optical transitions of UD-1 are also deduced. The transitions observed in the photoluminescence of UD-1 are from a Gamma(C3v)(4), to two different final states, which transform according to Gamma(C3v)(5)circle plus Gamma(C3v)(6) and Gamma(C3v)(4), respectively.

The growth of thick epitaxial SiC layers needed for high-voltage, high-power devices is investigated with the chloride-based chemical vapor deposition. High growth rates exceeding 100 mu m/h can be obtained, however to obtain device quality epilayers adjustments of the process parameters should be carried out appropriately for the chemistry used. Two different chemistry approaches are compared: addition of hydrogen chloride to the standard precursors or using methyltrichlorosilane, a molecule that contains silicon, carbon and chlorine. Optical and electrical techniques are used to characterize the layers.

After low-energy electron irradiation of epitaxial n-type 4H-SiC with a dose of 5 x 10(16) cm(-2), the bistable M-center, previously reported in high-energy proton implanted 4H-SiC, is detected in the deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) spectrum. The annealing behavior of the M-center is confirmed, and an enhanced recombination process is suggested. The annihilation process is coincidental with the evolvement of the bistable EB-centers in the low temperature range of the DLTS spectrum. The annealing energy of the M-center is similar to the generation energy of the EB-centers, thus partial transformation of the M-center to the EB-centers is suggested. The EB-centers completely disappeared after annealing temperatures higher than 700 degrees C without the formation of new defects in the observed DLTS scanning range. The threshold energy for moving Si atom in SiC is higher than the applied irradiation energy, and the annihilation temperatures are relatively low, therefore the M-center, EH1 and EH3, as well as the EB-centers are attributed to defects related to the C atom in SiC, most probably to carbon interstitials and their complexes.

A chloride-based chemical-vapor-deposition (CVD) process has been successfully used to grow very high quality 3C-SiC epitaxial layers on on-axis α-SiC substrates. An accurate process parameters study was performed testing the effect of temperature, surface preparation, precursor ratios, nitrogen addition, and substrate polytype and polarity. The 3C layers deposited showed to be largely single-domain material of very high purity and of excellent electrical characteristics. A growth rate of up to 10 μm/h and a low background doping enable deposition of epitaxial layers suitable for MOSFET devices.

The epitaxial growth at 100 µm/h on on-axis 4H-SiC substrates is demonstrated in this study. Chloride-based CVD, which has been shown to be a reliable process to grow SiC epitaxial layers at rates above 100 µm/h on off-cut substrates, was combined with silane in-situ etching. A proper tuning of C/Si and Cl/Si ratios and the combination of different chlorinated precursors resulted in the homoepitaxial growth of 4H-SiC on Si-face substrates at high rates. Methyltrichlorosilane, added with silane, ethylene and hydrogen chloride were employed as precursors to perform epitaxial growths resulting in very low background doping concentration and high quality material, which could be employed for power devices structure on basal-plane-dislocation-free epitaxial layers.