Schottky barrier detection devices having a 4H-SiC n-type epitaxial layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9515211-B2
Application number	US-201414444140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A detection device, along with methods of its manufacture and use, is provided. The detection device can include: a SiC substrate defining a substrate surface cut from planar to about 12°; a buffer epitaxial layer on the substrate surface; a n-type epitaxial layer on the buffer epitaxial layer; and a top contact on the n-type epitaxial layer. The buffer epitaxial layer can include a n-type 4H—SiC epitaxial layer doped at a concentration of about 1×10 15 cm −3 to about 5×10 18 cm −3 with nitrogen, boron, aluminum, or a mixture thereof. The n-type epitaxial layer can include a n-type 4H—SiC epitaxial layer doped at a concentration of about 1×10 13 cm −3 to about 5×10 15 cm −3 with nitrogen. The top contact can have a thickness of about 8 nm to about 15 nm.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A detection device, comprising:
a SiC substrate defining a substrate surface cut from planar to about 12°;
a buffer epitaxial layer on the substrate surface, wherein the buffer epitaxial layer comprises a n-type 4H—SiC epitaxial layer doped at a concentration of about 1×10 15 cm −3 to about 5×10 18 cm −3 with nitrogen, boron, aluminum, or a mixture thereof;
a n-type epitaxial layer on the buffer epitaxial layer, wherein the n-type epitaxial layer comprises a n-type 4H—SiC epitaxial layer doped at a concentration of about 1×10 13 cm −3 to about 5×10 15 cm −3 with nitrogen; and
a top contact on the n-type epitaxial layer, wherein the top contact has a thickness of about 8 nm to about 15 nm, wherein the detection device has sensitivity in an energy range of 50 eV to 10 keV.

2. The detection device as in claim 1 , wherein the buffer epitaxial layer has a thickness of about 0.5 μm to about 2.0 μm.

3. The detection device as in claim 1 , wherein the buffer epitaxial layer is doped with nitrogen at a concentration of about 1×10 15 cm −3 to about 5×10 18 cm −3 .

4. The detection device as in claim 1 , wherein the n-type epitaxial layer has a thickness of about 10 μm to about 50 μm.

5. The detection device as in claim 1 , wherein the top contact comprises a high barrier metal.

6. The detection device as in claim 5 , wherein the high barrier metal comprises Pt, Au, Ag, Ni, Pd, W, Mo, Ir, Ru, or mixtures thereof.

7. The detection device as in claim 1 , wherein the top contact comprises a low barrier metal.

8. The detection device as in claim 7 , wherein the high barrier metal comprises Al, Sn, In, Ti, or mixtures thereof.

9. The detection device as in claim 1 , wherein the n-type epitaxial layer defines an exposed surface defining a surface area, and wherein the top contact covers about 10% to about 20% of the surface area of the exposed surface of the n-type epitaxial layer.

10. The detection device as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a top lead; and
a paste attaching the top lead to the top contact.

11. The detection device as in claim 10 , wherein the paste comprises silver and an adhesive.

12. The detection device as in claim 11 , wherein the adhesive comprises an epoxy adhesive.

13. The detection device as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a bottom contact positioned on the SiC substrate opposite from the buffer epitaxial layer, wherein the bottom contact has a thickness of about 50 nm to about 200 nm.

14. The detection device as in claim 13 , further comprising:
a bottom contact positioned on the Sic substrate opposite from the buffer epitaxial layer, wherein the bottom contact comprises a high barrier metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Au, Ag, Ni, Pd, W, Mo, Ir, Ru, and mixtures thereof.

15. The detection device as in claim 13 , further comprising:
a bottom contact positioned on the Sic substrate opposite from the buffer epitaxial layer, wherein the bottom contact comprises a low barrier metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Sn, In, Ti, and mixtures thereof.

16. The detection device as in claim 13 , further comprising:
a bottom lead; and
a paste attaching the bottom lead to the bottom contact, wherein the paste comprises silver and an adhesive.

17. The detection device as in claim 1 , wherein the SiC substrate has a crystalline structure that is 4H—SiC.

Assignees

• Mandal Krishna C
• Terry J Russell
• Univ South Carolina

Inventors

• Mandal Krishna C
• Terry J Russell

Classifications

• H01L33/0033

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/118

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/036 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0312

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10H20/052

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