Threshold-voltage instability in 4H-SiC MOSFETs with nitrided gate oxide revealed by non-relaxation method

The threshold-voltage (V th) shift of 4H-SiC MOSFETs with Ar or N2O post-oxidation annealing (POA) was measured by conventional sweep and non-relaxation methods. Although the V th shift values of both samples were almost identical when measured by the sweep method, those for the Ar POA samples were larger than those for the N2O POA samples when measured by the non-relaxation method. Thus, we can say that investigating the exact V th shifts using only the conventional sweep method is difficult. The temperature-dependent analysis of the V th shifts measured by both methods revealed that the N2O POA decreases charge trapping in the near-interface region of the SiO2.