Mitigating Issues that Impact 4H-SiC Epitaxy for Reliable Power Electronics

Although dramatic improvements have been made in the performance of unipolar 4H-SiC power devices, commercialization of bipolar devices is still hindered by short lifetimes and high extended defect densities. Basal plane dislocations (BPDs) are of particular concern since they source Shockley-type stacking faults (SF) in active regions of devices, which cause forward voltage drifts [1]. In addition, the impact of in-grown SFs and low minority carrier lifetime are issues that must be addressed.