Breakdown Degradation Associated With Elementary Screw Dislocations In 4H-SiC P+N Junction Rectifiers

ABSTRACTIt is well-known that SiC wafer quality deficiencies are delaying the realization of outstandingly superior 4H-SiC power electronics. While efforts to date have centered on eradicating micropipes (i.e., hollow core super-screw dislocations with Burgers vectors > 2c), 4H-SiC wafers and epilayers also contain elementary screw dislocations (i.e., Burgers vector = lc with no hollow core) in densities on the order of thousands per cm 2, nearly 100-fold micropipe densities. While not nearly as detrimental to SiC device performance as micropipes, it has been previously shown that diodes containing elementary screw dislocations exhibit a 5% to 35% reduction in breakdown voltage, higher pre-breakdown reverse leakage current, softer reverse breakdown I-V knee, and concentrated microplasmic breakdown current filaments when measured under DC testing conditions. This paper details the impact of elementary screw dislocations on the experimentally observed reverse-breakdown pulse-failure characteristics of low-voltage (< 250 V) small-area (< 5 × 10-4 cm2) 4H-SiC p+n diodes. The presence of elementary screw dislocations did not significantly affect the failure properties of these diodes when subjected to non-adiabatic breakdown-bias pulsewidths ranging from 0.1 μs to 20 μs in duration. Diodes with and without elementary screw dislocations exhibited positive temperature coefficient of breakdown voltage and high junction failure power densities well above the failure power densities exhibited by highly reliable silicon power rectifiers. This preliminary result, based on measurements from one wafer of SiC diodes, suggests that highly reliable low-voltage SiC rectifiers may be attainable despite the presence of elementary screw dislocations.

Synchrotron White Beam X-ray Topography (SWBXT) imaging of wafers cut parallel to the growth axis from 4H-SiC boules grown using Physical Vapor Transport has enabled visualization of the evolution of the defect microstructure. Here we present observations of the propagation and post-growth mutual interaction of threading growth dislocations with c-component of Burgers vector. Detailed contrast extinction studies reveal the presence of two types of such dislocations: pure c-axis screw dislocations and those with Burgers Vector n1c+n2a, where n1 is equal to 1 and n2 is equal to 1 or 2. In addition, observations of dislocation propagation show that some of the threading dislocations with c-component of Burgers adopt a curved, slightly helical morphology which can drive the dislocations from adjacent nucleation sites together enabling them to respond to the inter-dislocation forces and react. Since all of the dislocations exhibiting such helical configurations have significant screw component, and in view of the fact that such dislocations are typically not observed to glide, it is believed that such morphologies result in large part from the interaction of a non-equilibrium concentration of vacancies with the originally approximately straight dislocation cores during post-growth cooling. Such interactions can lead to complete or partial Burgers vector annihilation. Among the reactions observed are: (a) the reaction between opposite-sign threading screw dislocations with Burgers vectors c and –c wherein some segments annihilate leaving others in the form of trails of stranded loops comprising closed dislocation dipoles; (b) the reaction between threading dislocations with Burgers vectors of -c+a and c+a wherein the opposite c-components annihilate leaving behind the two a-components; (c) the similar reaction between threading dislocations with Burgers vectors of -c and c+a leaving behind the a-component.

Silicon carbide (SiC) substrates with chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown epilayers have been characterized by synchrotron white beam X-ray topography (SWBXT). Large numbers of circular basal plane dislocation loops (BPDs) were observed in the substrate which were anchored by threading screw dislocations (SDs). Threading edge dislocations (TEDs) are not observed to play an important role in the multiplication of BPDs. A SD-assisted “conservative climb” model is proposed to explain the multiplication of BPDs during growth and/or post-growth processes. BPDs are shown to multiply on adjacent parallel basal planes via single SD-assisted as well as opposite sign SD-pair-assisted “conservative climb”.

Studies of threading dislocations with Burgers vector of c+a have been carried out using synchrotron white beam X-ray topography. The nucleation and propagation of pairs of opposite sign threading c+a dislocations is observed. Overgrowth of inclusions by growth steps leads to lattice closure failure and the stresses associated with this can be relaxed by the nucleation of opposite sign pairs of dislocations with Burgers vector c+a. Once these dislocations are nucleated they propagate along the c-axis growth direction, or can be deflected onto the basal plane by overgrowth of macrosteps. For the c+a dislocations, partial deflection can occasionally occur, e.g. the a-component deflects onto basal plane while the c-component continuously propagates along the growth direction. One factor controlling the details of these deflection processes is suggested to be related to the ratio between the height of the overgrowing macrostep and that of the surface spiral hillock associated with the threading growth dislocations with c-component of Burgers vector.

Synchrotron white beam x-ray topography images show that faint needle-like surface morphological features observed on the Si-face of 4H-SiC homoepitaxial layers using Nomarski optical microscopy are associated with V-shaped stacking faults in the epilayer. KOH etching of the V-shaped defects reveals small oval pits connected by a shallow trench which correspond to the surface intersections of two partial dislocations and the stacking fault connecting them. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens from regions containing the V-shaped defects prepared using focused ion beam milling show stacking sequences of (85), (50) and (63) at the faulted region using high resolution TEM. In order to study the formation mechanism of the V-shaped defects, low dislocation density 4H-SiC substrates were chosen for epitaxial growth, and the corresponding regions before and after epitaxy growth are compared in SWBXT images. It is found that no defects in the substrate are directly associated with the formation of the V-shaped defects. Simulation results of the contrast from the two partial dislocations associated with V-shaped defects in synchrotron monochromatic beam x-ray topography reveals the opposite sign nature of their Burgers vectors. Therefore, a mechanism of 2D nucleation during epitaxy growth is postulated for the formation of the V-shaped defects, which requires elimination of non-sequential c/4[0001] bilayers from the original structure to create the observed faulted stacking sequence.

ABSTRACTSynchrotron topography studies are presented of the behavior of growth dislocations and deformation-induced dislocations in 4H-SiC single crystals. The growth dislocations include those in threading orientation with line directions approximately along c with Burgers vectors of a, c, and na+mc (where n and m are integers) while the deformation-induced dislocations include those with line directions confined to the basal plane with Burgers vectors of a and Shockley partial dislocations with Burgers vectors of 1/3<1-100> as well as those with line directions in the {1-100} prismatic planes with Burgers vectors of a. Processes leading to the nucleation of the growth dislocations are discussed as well as their deflection onto the basal plane during crystal growth in a reversible process. This latter process can lead to the conversion of segments of the deflected growth dislocations into deformation induced dislocations. In some cases this can lead to dislocation multiplication via the Hopping Frank-Read source mechanism and in others to the motion of single Shockley partial dislocations leading to Shockley stacking fault expansion. Studies are also presented of interactions between threading growth dislocations with c-component of Burger’s vector facilitated by climb processes which are mediated by interactions with non-equilibrium concentrations of vacancies. This can lead to reactions whereby complete or partial dislocation Burgers vector annihilation occurs.

Synchrotron white-beam topographic studies of 2H–SiC crystals

Dislocation analysis for heat-exchanger method grown sapphire with white beam synchrotron X-ray topography

In this paper, we studied the structural transformation of screw dislocations through gas-phase 4H-SiC epitaxial growth. We confirmed based on the numbers and features of etch pits on a surface after KOH treatment that some micropipes were closed in the epitaxial layer, and were divided into several elementary screw dislocations. We discuss the magnitude of Burgers vectors of micropipes in 4H-SiC substrates in relation to the number of elementary screw dislocations generated by micropipe closing. A depth analysis further revealed that most micropipe closings took place in the initial stage of epitaxial growth.

In 4H-SiC, which is currently considered as a most promising candidate for the power devices, four types of threading dislocation (TD) have been identified. Apart from a threading edge dislocation with b = a, it has been shown recently that there are at least three types of TDs whose Burgers vectors b are parallel or nearly parallel to the c axis, i.e. a threading pure screw dislocation (TpSD) with b = [0001], a threading near screw dislocation (TnSD) with and a threading mixed dislocation (TMD) with . These dislocations have been called simply as threading screw dislocations (TSDs). Since the total Burgers vector, and hence the energy, increases in the order of TpSD, TnSD and TMD, it is expected that the occurrence should decrease in the order of TpSD, TnSD and TMD. This is not the case. The reason why high-energy TnSD and TMD are as abundant as low-energy TpSD has been discussed based on the dissociation models. As a result of dissociation, the difference of energy among these three types of TSD is reduced considerably.

Dislocations near surface of 4H-SiC were observed using synchrotron radiation topography in the Bragg case with grazingincidence geometry. Figure is an image of basal-plane dislocation half-loop at g=11-28, =0.15nm on Si-face. The (0001) plane is tilted towards the [-1-120] direction by 8 degrees from the surface. In this condition, lattice defects within 10 m depth are observed. Along this dislocation line, bright contrast at A, dark and bright asymmetric line at B, and dark contrast at C are observed. Absence in contrast can be seen at B at g=1-108, and so that B is a screw dislocation part. We have observed migrations of dark dislocations in specimens after forward-bias degradation effect, in which Si-core dislocations are known to move. Thus we concluded that C is Si-core, A is C-core edge dislocation, and the Burgers vector is 1/3[-1-120]. The observed dark and bright contrast is discussed to be similar effect described by Ando and Kato (1970). By applying this rule we could identify uniquely 6 different Burgers vectors for all basal-plane dislocations and threading edge dislocations at only one diffraction condition.

A study of the impact of dimension and temperature on a state of the art 4H-SiC power vertical DMOSFET has been carried out using drift-diffusion calculations in conjunction with electrical characterizations to extract physical parameters and doping profiles in a 6 μm channel length device. The model presented in this paper includes the effect of trapping in the channel/oxide interface. Using these parameters, the performance of corresponding lateral and vertical scaled devices are studied. Electrothermal simulations showing self-heating effects are also carried out. The results are qualitatively discussed with the help of an analytical physical model, which considers the interplay between the different device resistances. At low drain bias, the drain current is increased by 42.86% (I D = 5 A at V G = 20 V) when reducing the dimension vertically, whereas it is decreased by 28.57% (I D = 2.5 A at V G = 20 V) when reducing the dimension laterally. These effects are enhanced at high drain bias. In addition, the effect of dimension reduction for breakdown voltage, electric field and impact ionization is investigated. A substantial reduction in breakdown voltage was found when the vertical dimensions were decreased as compared to the lateral dimensions.

There has been some question as whether micropipes in SiC crystals, giant dislocations that possess hollow cores and lie roughly along the hexagonal c-direction, are screw dislocations with Burgers vectors of nc, where n is an integer, or are dislocations of mixed character, with Burgers vector nc + ma, where m is equal to n or possibly different from n. X-ray topographs of the basal faces of PVT-grown 4H-SiC wafers containing micropipes taken in both back-reflection and grazing-incidence geometries are compared with computer simulations of micropipe images. The deviation from circular symmetry of micropipe images in such topographs may be explained as well by the micropipe's tilt from the c-direction as by an nc + ma nature. The contrast of micropipes in electron micrographs comprises of a pair of light and dark lobes consisting of a detailed system of subsidiary fringes. These are comparable with micropipe image computer simulations for Burgers vector nc. When an na edge component is introduced to the simulation, a small feature, a few hundred nm wide, appears, which is absent from the micrographs.

The surface morphology and lattice defect structures in the subsurface regions of 4H-SiC wafers introduced during chemo-mechanical polishing (CMP) were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It is known that local damage consisting of high-density lattice defects is introduced in the wafers during the current CMP, however, optical microscopy showed that the surface was very flat and clean without any presence of surface defects. Specifically, this study focused on the detailed analysis of such lattice defect structures. The high-density lattice defects locally introduced in the subsurface regions consisted of nano-scale surface scratches, high-density basal-plane dislocation loops, Shockley-type stacking faults, and Y-shaped defects. Two types of dislocation loops were introduced near the scratches that were selected for further study: nearly perfect basal-plane dislocations, which were accompanied by narrow stacking faults, and apparent partial basal-plane dislocations, which were accompanied by wide stacking faults. A Y-shaped defect was observed in the local damage along the [112¯0] direction, but not in the local damage along the [1¯100] direction. It was also found that the directions of the Burgers vectors for the basal-plane dislocations clearly depended on the directions of the introduced scratch-like defects.

Efforts to improve the quality and size of 4H-SiC wafers have resulted in size of 6” and dislocation densities of the order of 103 cm-2. The presence of significant quantities of crystallographic defects in bulk 4H-SiC crystals continues to be a major obstacle for achieving high-quality 4H-SiC substrates. Of particular note is the nucleation and distribution of basal plane dislocations (BPDs). BPDs are deformation-induced and are mostly generated during post-crystal growth cooling or high temperature annealing processes. BPDs have been associated with the formation of Shockley stacking fault leading to an increase in forward voltage degradation and are undesirable. Depending on the PVT growth conditions, internal stresses due to non-uniformity of temperature field cause lattice plane bending. During cooldown, this bending is accommodated by the inhomogeneous distribution of BPDs in a PVT grown 4H-SiC boule and persists in wafers sliced from the boule. Crystal bending affects subsequent wafer processing especially polishing and device fabrication. Therefore, analysis of the BPD distribution (sign and density) enables us to better understand basal plane bending, which provides insight into further improvement of the crystal growth process. Synchrotron Monochromatic Beam X-ray Topography (SMBXT) studies in grazing incidence geometry reveal the appearance of black and white contrast of BPDs which are associated with opposite sign of Burgers vectors. Based on the principle of ray tracing, black contrast BPDs are generated by focusing of diffracted X-rays when the extra half plane is extending away from the imaged surface, while defocusing of X-rays contribute to the generation of white contrast BPDs due to the extra half plane extending towards the surface [1]. The inhomogeneous distribution of the two types of BPD contrast will thus result in concave/convex shape of the basal planes. In our study, we have evaluated the ratio of the black/white contrast of BPDs along 11-20 direction across multiple 6-inch diameter 4H-SiC substrates sliced from the same and different boules and predicted how the lattice is tilted in different substrate wafers. High resolution X-ray diffraction measurements are currently underway to investigate the variation of rocking curve peak shift along 11-20 direction and thus to further verify our result.