Characterization of Polyimide Dielectric Layer for the Passivation of High Electric Field and High Temperature Silicon Carbide Power Devices

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide bandgap semiconductor suitable for high-voltage, highpower and high-temperature applications [1]. However, and among other issues, the production of advanced SiC power devices still remains limited due to some shortcomings of the dielectric properties of the passivation layer [2]. Due to their supposed high operating temperature and dielectric strength [3], spin coated polyimide materials appear as a possible candidates for SiC device passivation and insulation purposes. As a matter of fact, they are already used in current commercial SiC devices allowing a maximum junction temperature of 175 °C. The aim of this paper is to study the ability of polyimide (PI) coatings to be used for a Tjmax up to 300 °C. Therefore, the main electrical properties (dielectric permittivity, leakage current and breakdown field) at different temperatures of a high temperature commercially available polyimide material (from HD Microsystems) in both Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) and Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) structures are presented and discussed.