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Effects of nitridation on SiC/SiO2 structures studied by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Berens, J; Bichelmaier, S; Fernando, NK; Thakur, PK; Lee, T-L; Mascheck, M; Wiell, T; ... Regoutz, A; + view all (2020) Effects of nitridation on SiC/SiO2 structures studied by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Journal of Physics: Energy , 2 (3) , Article 035001. 10.1088/2515-7655/ab8c5e. Green open access

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Abstract

SiC is set to enable a new era in power electronics impacting a wide range of energy technologies, from electric vehicles to renewable energy. Its physical characteristics outperform silicon in many aspects, including band gap, breakdown field, and thermal conductivity. The main challenge for further development of SiC-based power semiconductor devices is the quality of the interface between SiC and its native dielectric SiO$_2$. High temperature nitridation processes can improve the interface quality and ultimately the device performance immensely, but the underlying chemical processes are still poorly understood. Here, we present an energy-dependent hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) study probing non-destructively SiC and SiO$_2$ and their interface in device stacks treated in varying atmospheres. We successfully combine laboratory- and synchrotron-based HAXPES to provide unique insights into the chemistry of interface defects and their passivation through nitridation processes.

Type: Article
Title: Effects of nitridation on SiC/SiO2 structures studied by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1088/2515-7655/ab8c5e
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7655/ab8c5e
Language: English
Additional information: Original Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Keywords: power electronics, silicon carbide, interface, defects, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS, HAXPES
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Chemistry
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Physics and Astronomy
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10090788
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