Characterization of nanopipes/dislocations in silicon carbide using ballistic electron emission microscopy

Abstract

We report on the characterization of the nanopipe/dislocation related defects in silicon carbide (SiC) wafers using a ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) technique. While the rest of the techniques were just limited to providing structural information such as length and width, the dual mode of the BEEM technique is shown to provide physical insight into the nature of these defects in SiC. The presence of excess of carrier density at the dislocation site, and its impact on the device characteristics in terms of junction breakdown, is discussed within the scope of our experimental results.