Gallium nitride (GaN) and its allied binaries InN and AIN as well as their ternary compounds have gained an unprecedented attention due to their wide-ranging applications encompassing green, blue, violet, and ultraviolet (UV) emitters and detectors (in photon ranges inaccessible by other semiconductors) and high-power amplifiers. However, even the best of the three binaries, GaN, contains many structural and point defects caused to a large extent by lattice and stacking mismatch with substrates. These defects notably affect the electrical and optical properties of the host material and can seriously degrade the performance and reliability of devices made based on these nitride semiconductors. Even though GaN broke the long-standing paradigm that high density of dislocations precludes acceptable device performance, point defects have taken the center stage as they exacerbate efforts to increase the efficiency of emitters, increase laser operation lifetime, and lead to anomalies in electronic devices. The p...

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Luminescence properties of defects in GaN

Wide bandgap semiconductors show superior material properties enabling potential power device operation at higher temperatures, voltages, and switching speeds than current Si technology. As a result, a new generation of power devices is being developed for power converter applications in which traditional Si power devices show limited operation. The use of these new power semiconductor devices will allow both an important improvement in the performance of existing power converters and the development of new power converters, accounting for an increase in the efficiency of the electric energy transformations and a more rational use of the electric energy. At present, SiC and GaN are the more promising semiconductor materials for these new power devices as a consequence of their outstanding properties, commercial availability of starting material, and maturity of their technological processes. This paper presents a review of recent progresses in the development of SiC- and GaN-based power semiconductor devices together with an overall view of the state of the art of this new device generation.

A Survey of Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Devices

An object is to provide a semiconductor device of which a manufacturing process is not complicated and by which cost can be suppressed, by forming a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor film typified by zinc oxide, and a manufacturing method thereof. For the semiconductor device, a gate electrode is formed over a substrate; a gate insulating film is formed covering the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor film is formed over the gate insulating film; and a first conductive film and a second conductive film are formed over the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film has at least a crystallized region in a channel region.

Semiconductor device, and manufacturing method thereof

and Perspectives Sophie Carenco,†,‡,§,∥,⊥ David Portehault,*,†,‡,§ Ced́ric Boissier̀e,†,‡,§ Nicolas Meźailles, and Cleḿent Sanchez*,†,‡,§ †Chimie de la Matier̀e Condenseé de Paris, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7574, Colleg̀e de France, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France ‡Chimie de la Matier̀e Condenseé de Paris, CNRS, UMR 77574, Colleg̀e de France, 11 Place Marcellin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France Chimie de la Matier̀e Condenseé de Paris, Colleg̀e de France, 11 Place Marcellin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France Laboratory Heteroelements and Coordination, Chemistry Department, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS-UMR 7653, Palaiseau, France

Nanoscaled metal borides and phosphides: recent developments and perspectives

Silicon carbide (SiC) power devices have been investigated extensively in the past two decades, and there are many devices commercially available now. Owing to the intrinsic material advantages of SiC over silicon (Si), SiC power devices can operate at higher voltage, higher switching frequency, and higher temperature. This paper reviews the technology progress of SiC power devices and their emerging applications. The design challenges and future trends are summarized at the end of the paper.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ielaam/41/8031005/7815312-aam.pdf

Review of Silicon Carbide Power Devices and Their Applications

4H-polytype AlN has been grown on a 4H-SiC substrate with the (1120) face via plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy The microscopic structure of the AlN/4H-SiC interface was examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and the polytype replication of the 4H structure from the 4H-SiC(1120) substrate was evidently confirmed The x-ray rocking curve of (1120) diffraction for the single crystalline 4H-AlN epilayer exhibited a very small linewidth of 90 arc sec, suggesting noticeably small tilting around the [1120] direction The excellent crystalline quality is probably owing to the polytype matching between the 4H-AlN epilayer and the 4H-SiC substrate, which resulted in remarkable reduction of defects at the interface

http://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/24197/1/ApplPhysLett_83_5208.pdf

4H-polytype AlN grown on 4H-SiC(112̄0) substrate by polytype replication

The initial layer-by-layer growth of AlN was realized on a surface-controlled 4H–SiC(0001) substrate using plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy (PA-MBE). To achieve initial two-dimensional (2D) growth, the control of SiC surface chemistry is very important as well as that of surface flatness. The effect of SiC preparation on the surface structure and chemical composition was investigated by using reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The initial growth mode of AlN was strongly influenced by the removal of residual oxygen atoms from the SiC surface. Symmetrical and asymmetrical X-ray rocking curve (XRC) measurements revealed that initial 2D growth was essential to obtain the excellent crystalline quality of AlN layer.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1143/JJAP.42.L445/pdf

High-Quality AlN by Initial Layer-by-Layer Growth on Surface-Controlled 4H–SiC(0001) Substrate

The second-order nonlinear optical coefficients of 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC have been measured by use of two second-harmonic generation methods, the rotational Maker-fringe and wedge techniques, at the fundamental wavelength of 1.064 μm. Measurements on high-quality (0001) and (112¯0) plane samples as well as rigorous analyses taking into account the multiple-reflection effects allowed us to accurately determine the magnitudes of the nonlinear optical coefficients. The obtained values are d31=6.7 pm/V, d15=6.5 pm/V, and d33=−12.5 pm/V for 6H-SiC; and d31=6.5 pm/V, d15=6.7 pm/V, and d33=−11.7 pm/V for 4H-SiC.

Accurate measurements of second-order nonlinear optical coefficients of 6H and 4H silicon carbide

Avalanche multiplication characteristics in a reverse-biased homoepitaxial GaN p–n junction diode are experimentally investigated at 223–373 K by novel photomultiplication measurements utilizing above- and below-bandgap illumination. The device has a non-punch-through one-side abrupt p–-n+ junction structure, in which the depletion layer mainly extends to the p-type region. For above-bandgap illumination, the light is absorbed at the surface p+-layer, and the generated electrons diffuse and reach the depletion layer, resulting in an electron-injected photocurrent. On the other hand, for below-bandgap illumination, the light penetrates a GaN layer and is absorbed owing to the Franz–Keldysh effect in the high electric field region (near the p–n junction interface), resulting in a hole-induced photocurrent. The theoretical (non-multiplicated) photocurrents are calculated elaborately, and the electron- and hole-initiated multiplication factors are extracted as ratios of the experimental data to the calculated values. Through the mathematical analyses of the multiplication factors, the temperature dependences of the impact ionization coefficients of electrons and holes in GaN are extracted and formulated by the Okuto–Crowell model. The ideal breakdown voltage and the critical electric field for GaN p–n junctions of varying doping concentration are simulated using the obtained impact ionization coefficients, and their temperature dependence and conduction-type dependence were discussed. The simulated breakdown characteristics show good agreement with data reported previously, suggesting the high accuracy of the impact ionization coefficients obtained in this study.

Impact ionization coefficients and critical electric field in GaN

The fabrication processes of p-type regions for vertical GaN power devices are investigated. A p-type body layer in a trench gate metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor requires precise control of the effective acceptor concentration, which is equal to the difference between the Mg acceptor concentration (Na) and the compensating donor concentration (Nd). The carbon atoms incorporated during growth via metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy substitute nitrogen sites (CN) and function as donor sources in a p-type GaN layer. Since interstitial H atoms ( H i ) also compensate holes, their removal from an Mg-doped layer is crucial. Extended anneals to release H atoms cause the formation of extra hole traps. The p+ capping layer allows effective and rapid removal of H atoms from a p-type body layer owing to the electric field across the p+/p– junction. On the other hand, selective area p-type doping via Mg ion implantation is needed to control the electrical field distribution at the device edge. Ultrahigh-pressure annealing (UHPA) under a nitrogen pressure of 1 GPa enables post-implantation annealing up to 1753 K without thermal decomposition. Cathodoluminescence spectra and Hall-effect measurements suggest that the acceptor activation ratio improves dramatically by annealing above 1673 K as compared to annealing at up to 1573 K. High-temperature UHPA also induces Mg atom diffusion. We demonstrate that vacancy diffusion and the introduction of H atoms from the UHPA ambient play a key role in the redistribution of Mg atoms.

Jun Suda

Papers

4H-polytype AlN grown on 4H-SiC(112̄0) substrate by polytype replication

High-Quality AlN by Initial Layer-by-Layer Growth on Surface-Controlled 4H–SiC(0001) Substrate

Accurate measurements of second-order nonlinear optical coefficients of 6H and 4H silicon carbide

Impact ionization coefficients and critical electric field in GaN

Progress on and challenges of p-type formation for GaN power devices