Evaluation of 4H-SiC Thermal Oxide Reliability Using Area-Scaling Method

The reliability of thermal oxides grown on an n-type 4H-SiC(0001) was investigated using an area-scaling method, and the influence of dislocation defects on the time-dependent dielectric breakdown characteristics of thermal oxides was examined. A thermal oxide was grown by dry oxidation at 1200 degrees C followed by nitrogen post-oxidation annealing. Using the area-scaling method, the time-to-breakdown (t(BD)) distribution curves of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with different gate area sizes were converged to a single one. It was clearly shown that origins of dielectric breakdown are edge breakdown and dislocation-related breakdown for steep and gradual slopes of the area-scaling normalized t(BD) distribution curve, respectively. In addition, a yield analysis of MOS capacitors quantitatively indicated that both threading screw dislocation and basal plane dislocation are predominant killer defects for the dielectric breakdown of thermal oxides on the 4H-SiC(0001) face. (C) 2009 The Japan Society of Applied Physics