Evaluation of Schottky barrier diodes fabricated directly on processed 4H-SiC(0001) surfaces

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a suitable substrate for low-power-consumption power devices and high-temperature applications. However, this material is difficult to machine because of its hardness and chemical inertness, and many machining methods have been studied intensively in recent years. In this paper, we present a simple method to evaluate the electrical properties of the processed surface using the ideal factor n of a Schottky barrier diode (SBD) fabricated directly on the processed surface. Upon comparing the values of n for SBDs fabricated on a damaged SiC surface and a non-damaged SiC surface, we found that there is a significant difference in the dispersion and magnitude of n. Furthermore, by combining this technique with slope etching, we were able to estimate the thickness of the damaged sub-surface layer.