Investigation of Reducing Interface State Density in 4H-SiC by Increasing Oxidation Rate

Detailed investigations of the pre-oxidation phosphorus implantation process are required to increase the oxidation rate in 4H-SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors. This study focuses on the SiO₂/SiC interface characteristics of pre-oxidation using phosphorus implantation methods. The inversion channel mobility of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) was decreased via a high interface state density and the coulomb-scattering mechanisms of the carriers. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) were used to evaluate the SiO₂/SiC interface's morphology. According to the energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) results, it was found that phosphorus implantation reduced the accumulation of carbon at the SiO₂/SiC interface. Moreover, phosphorus distributed on the SiO₂/SiC interface exhibited a Gaussian profile, and the nitrogen concentration at the SiO₂/SiC interface may be correlated with the content of phosphorus. This research presents a new approach for increasing the oxidation rate of SiC and reducing the interface state density.