Positive Temperature Coefficient of Breakdown Voltage in 4H-SiC PN Junction Rectifiers

Abstract

It has been suggested that once silicon carbide (SiC) technology overcomes some crystal growth obstades, superior SiC semiconductor devices will supplant silicon in many high power applications. However, a positive temperature coefficient of breakdown voltage, a feature crucial to realizing excellent power device reliability, has not been observed in 4H-SiC, which is presently the best-suited SiC polytype for power device implementation. This paper reports the first experimental measurements of stable positive temperature coefficient behavior observed in 4H-SiC pn junction rectifiers. This research indicates that robust 4H-SiC power devices with high breakdown reliability should be achievable after SiC foundries reduce material defects such as micropipes, dislocations, and deep-level impurities.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1998
Accession Number
ADA359099

Entities

People

  • Christian Fazi
  • Philip G. Neudeck

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplitude
  • Barometric Pressure
  • Chemical Vapor Deposition
  • Coefficients
  • Crystal Growth
  • Crystal Lattices
  • Crystals
  • Diodes
  • Dislocations
  • Measurement
  • P-N Junctions
  • Pulse Amplitude
  • Rectifiers
  • Reliability
  • Silicon Carbide
  • Temperature Coefficients
  • Waveforms

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Semiconductor Device Technology
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics