Comprehensive physical and electrical characterizations of NO nitrided SiO2/4H-SiC(112̄0) interfaces

Abstract

Nitridation of SiO2/4H-SiC(112̄0) interfaces with post-oxidation annealing in an NO ambient (NO-POA) and its impact on the electrical properties were investigated. Sub-nm-resolution nitrogen depth profiling at the interfaces was conducted by using a scanning X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy microprobe. The results showed that nitrogen atoms were incorporated just at the interface and that interface nitridation proceeded much faster than at SiO2/SiC(0001) interfaces, resulting in a 2.3 times higher nitrogen concentration. Electrical characterizations of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors were conducted through capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements in the dark and under illumination with ultraviolet light to evaluate the interface defects near the conduction and valence band edges and those causing hysteresis and shifting of the C–V curves. While all of these defects were passivated with the progress of the interface nitridation, excessive nitridation resulted in degradation of the MOS capacitors. The optimal conditions for NO-POA are discussed on the basis of these experimental findings.