Influence of thermal growth parameters on the SiO2/4H-SiC interfacial region

In order to elucidate the origin of SiC electrical degradation from thermal oxidation, 4H-SiC substrates were thermally oxidized under different conditions of time and pressure. Results from nuclear reaction analyses were correlated to those from electrical measurements. Although the increase in the flatband voltage shift and in the film thickness were related to the oxidation parameters, the results exclude the thickness of the SiO2/4H-SiC interfacial region and the amount of residual oxygen compounds present on the SiC surface as the main cause of the electrical degradation from the SiC oxidation.