Schottky diode characteristics of 3C-SiC grown on a Si substrate by vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract

The Schottky diode fabricated by cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) on a silicon (0 0 1) substrate achieved a breakdown voltage of over 190 V. The 3C-SiC thin film was prepared through heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on a silicon substrate by the use of methylsilane single source as an intermediate buffer layer. The active layer growth of 3C-SiC was achieved using silane and propane sources. The 3C-SiC active layer has been prepared with various thicknesses ranging from 1 to 10 μm. The Schottky diode was fabricated with a junction of 3C-SiC and a gold electrode, 500 μm in diameter. The leakage current of the Schottky diode on reverse bias reduced with the increase in thickness of the 3C-SiC thin film. The relationship between the morphology of the 3C-SiC surface and the leakage current is discussed. In conclusion, the high-quality 3C-SiC thin film growth on a silicon substrate is demonstrated.