Analysis of the Amorphous Silicon Carbide/Crystalline Silicon Interface

Abstract

The performance and reliability of silicon-based hetero-structure devices depend critically on their interfacial characteristics. Here we present high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) results for the a-SiC:H/c-Si (100) interface, substrate doping, and interface electrical characteristics derived from an Al/undoped a-SiC:H/p-Si metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure. The HRTEM study reveals an interface with a maximum asperity of three atomic planes. The substrate dopant profile for depths less than an extrinsic Debye length from the interface is computed from an iterative fit to the C-V data. A density of interface traps (Dit) of 1011 eV−1cm−2 at midgap is obtained.