Semiconductor and Optical Materials Commons^™

Synthesis Of Quasi-Freestanding Graphene Films Using Radical Species Formed In Cold Plasmas, Michael A. Mathews Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For over a decade, the Stinespring laboratory has investigated scalable, plasma assisted synthesis (PAS) methods for the growth of graphene films on silicon carbide (SiC). These typically utilized CF₄-based inductively coupled plasma (ICP) with reactive ion etching (RIE) to selectively etch silicon from the SiC lattice. This yielded a halogenated carbon-rich surface layer which was then annealed to produce the graphene layers. The thickness of the films was controlled by the plasma parameters, and overall, the process was readily scalable to the diameter of the SiC wafer.

The PAS process reproducibly yielded two- to three-layer thick graphene films …

High-Temperature Optoelectronic Device Characterization And Integration Towards Optical Isolation For High-Density Power Modules, Syam Madhusoodhanan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Power modules based on wide bandgap (WBG) materials enhance reliability and considerably reduce cooling requirements that lead to a significant reduction in total system cost and weight. Although these innovative properties lead power modules to higher power density, some concerns still need to be addressed to take full advantage of WBG-based modules. For example, the use of bulky transformers as a galvanic isolation system to float the high voltage gate driver limits further size reduction of the high-temperature power modules. Bulky transformers can be replaced by integrating high-temperature optocouplers to scale down power modules further and achieve disrupting performance in …

Switching Trajectory Control For High Voltage Silicon Carbide Power Devices With Novel Active Gate Drivers, Shuang Zhao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The penetration of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices is increasing in the power industry due to their lower parasitics, higher blocking voltage, and higher thermal conductivity over their silicon (Si) counterparts. Applications of high voltage SiC power devices, generally 10 kV or higher, can significantly reduce the amount of the cascaded levels of converters in the distributed system, simplify the system by reducing the number of the semiconductor devices, and increase the system reliability.

However, the gate drivers for high voltage SiC devices are not available on the market. Also, the characteristics of the third generation 10 kV SiC MOSFETs …

A Silicon Carbide Based Solid-State Fault Current Limiter For Modern Power Distribution Systems, Erik Darnell Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fault current limiter represents a developing technology which will greatly improve the reliability and stability of the power grid. By reducing the magnitude of fault currents in distribution systems, fault current limiters can alleviate much of the damage imposed by these events. Solid-state fault current limiters in particular offer many improved capabilities in comparison to the power system protection equipment which is currently being used for fault current mitigation. The use of silicon carbide power semiconductor devices in solid-state fault current limiters produces a system that would help to advance the infrastructure of the electric grid.

A solid-state fault …

A Silicon Carbide Linear Voltage Regulator For High Temperature Applications, Javier Antonio Valle Mayorga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current market demands have pushed the capabilities of silicon to the edge. High temperature and high power applications require a semiconductor device to operate reliably in very harsh environments. This situation has awakened interests in other types of semiconductors, usually with a higher bandgap than silicon's, as the next venue for the fabrication of integrated circuits (IC) and power devices. Silicon Carbide (SiC) has so far proven to be one of the best options in the power devices field.

This dissertation presents the first attempt to fabricate a SiC linear voltage regulator. This circuit would provide a power management option …

Detection Of Residual Stress In Sic Mems Using Μ-Raman Spectroscopy, John C. Zingarelli

Theses and Dissertations

Micro-Raman (µ-Raman) spectroscopy is used to measure residual stress in two silicon carbide (SiC) poly-types: single-crystal, hexagonally symmetric 6H-SiC, and polycrystalline, cubic 3C-SiC thin films deposited on Si substrates. Both are used in micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices. By employing an incorporated piezoelectric stage with submicron positioning capabilities along with the Raman spectral acquisition, spatial scans are performed to reveal areas in the 6H-SiC MEMS structures that contain residual stress. Shifts in the transverse optical (TO) Stokes peaks of up to 2 cm^-1 are correlated to the material strain induced by the MEMS fabrication process through the development of phonon …

Electrical And Optical Characterization Of Intrinsic And Ion-Implantation Induced Defects In 6h- And 4h-Sic, Michael B. Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), Hall effect, and cathodolummescence (CL) measurements are used to characterize the intrinsic and ion-implantation induced defects in high-temperature (475 and 500 °C) ion-implanted epitaxial n-type 6H- and 4H-SiC, ion-implanted with Cr, Mg, Ar, N, and P atoms. Comparison of room-temperature and high-temperature ion-implanted 6H-SiC:Mg and :Cr indicate the significance of high-temperature ion implantation on the activation of the ion-implanted atoms and damage-recovery of the crystalline lattice. The effects of high-temperature annealing on both damage-recovery and implanted ion activation are detected and analyzed, from 1200 to 1800 °C. Trap parameters of both damage-related and species-related defects …

Electrical Characterization Of Ion-Implanted 4h-Silicon Carbide, Christian P. Morath

Theses and Dissertations

Electrical characterization has been performed on ion-implanted p-type 4H-SiC to assess the activation efficiency and implantation-related damage recrystallization with the intention of developing an implantation/annealing scheme. Low doped (Na - Nd = 5x10(exp 15)/cu cm) epitaxial p-type layers grown by MOCVD were implanted with Al or B at doses ranging from 1x10(exp 13) to 1x10(exp 14)/sq cm at room temperature or 500 deg. C. The electrical technique of Temperature Dependent Hall Effect (TDHE) indicated that Al and B act as shallow acceptors 4H-SiC with ionization energies of ^252 and ^285 meV, respectively. The highest activation efficiency for Al and B …

Electrical Characterization Of 4h-Silicon Carbide P-N Junction Diodes, Michael E. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

The current conduction mechanisms of 4H-SiC p+n mesa diodes were studied using current-voltage-temperature (I-V-T), capacitance-voltage-temperature (C-V-T), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), optical observations, and reverse breakdown measurements. Temperature and voltage dependencies of diffusion, recombination, and tunneling current processes are shown to be consistent with Sah-Noyce-Shockley theory. Recombination currents having an ideality factor of A=1.85-2.1 yielded an activation energy of E_A=1.56 eV, whereas for ideal recombination, A=2 and E_A=1.6 eV. Forward I-V curves of poor diodes dominated by tunneling and recombination processes, showing low reverse breakdown voltages of approx. 100 V, can be correlated to DLTS results …

Electrical Characterization Of 4h-And 6h-Silicon Carbide Schottky Diodes, Jeffrey C. Wiemeri

Theses and Dissertations

The electrical properties of silicon carbide (SiC) make it an excellent candidate for use in high temperature/high power devices due to its wide bandgap, high breakdown field, high electron mobility, etc. In this work two Schottky diodes of platinum (Pt) on n-type carbon faced 4H-SiC and three Schottky diodes of nickel (Ni) on n-type silicon faced 6H-SiC were electrically characterized. The diodes exhibited good performance up to 698 K for both the forward and reverse (up to -100v) bias voltages. The barrier heights measured by I-V-T tests were found to be 0.32 and 0.61 eV for the Pt/4H-SiC samples, but …

Photoluminescence Spectroscopy Of 4h- And 6h-Sic, William A. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Typical undoped bulk grown SiC shows n- or p-type conductivity due to residual impurities such as nitrogen, boron, or aluminum. In order to produce high resistivity material, vanadium can be used as a compensating dopant. Since vanadium is an amphoteric dopant in SiC, it produces either a donor state, V_Si⁴⁺(3d¹) → V_Si⁵⁺(3d⁰), or an acceptor state, V_Si⁴⁺(3d¹) → V_Si³⁺(3d²). Thus, vanadium doping can compensate both n- and p-type conductivity. In this work, vanadium doped and undoped 4H- and 6H-SiC grown …