Comparison of Current – Voltage Characteristics of N and P Type 6H-SiC Schottky Diodes

Forward and reverse current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of N and P-type Schottky diodes on 6H-SiC are compared in a temperature range of room temperature to 550K. While the room temperature I–V characteristics of the N-type Schottky diode after turn-on is more or less linear up to ∼ 100 A/cm2, the I–V characteristics of the P-type Schottky diode shows a non-linear behavior even after turn-on, indicating a variation in the on-state resistance with increase in forward current. For the first time it is shown that at high current densities (> 210 A/cm2) the forward voltage drop across P type Schottky diodes is lower than that across N type Schottky diodes on 6H-SiC. High temperature measurements indicate that while the on-state resistance of N type Schottky diodes increases with increase in temperature, the on-state resistance of P type Schottky diodes decreases with increase in temperature until a certain temperature. While the N-type diodes seem to have soft breakdown characteristics, the P-type diodes exhibit more or less abrupt breakdown characteristics.