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Thermal Interactions of Ni on Stepped 6H-SiC Surfaces: Implications for Thin Film Microstructure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Andrew Woodworth ,
Srikanth Raghavan  and
Charter D Stinespring
Andrew Woodworth
Affiliation:
aawoodworth@gmail.com, West Virginia University, Department of Chemical Engineering, 403 Engineering Sciences Building, Morgantown, WV, 26501-6102, United States, 304-293-2111x2425, 304-2934139
Srikanth Raghavan
Affiliation:
Srikantr@csee.wvu.edu, West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Engineering Sciences Building, Morgantown, WV, 26506-6109, United States
Charter D Stinespring
Affiliation:
charter.stinespring@mail.wvu.edu, West Virginia University, Department of Chemical Engineering, 403 Engineering Sciences Building, Morgantown, WV, 26501-6102, United States
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Abstract

Ni films are important as both Schottky junctions and Ohmic contacts for high temperature SiC devices. Ni/SiC Schottky junctions are observed to become Ohmic upon annealing. This transition has been attributed to changes in film microstructure. The experiments reported here compare the thermal behavior of Ni films deposited on standard 6H-SiC (0001) surfaces with films deposited on periodically stepped surfaces. The former were prepared by wet chemical etching and are typical of those used in device fabrication. The latter were prepared by high temperature hydrogen etching. Ni films ranging from monolayer to nominal device thickness (~50 nm) were annealed on both surfaces. Analysis of these surfaces by in-situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and ex-situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) provided elemental, chemical and morphological information. The results show that the morphology and microstructure of annealed films are dependent on initial film thickness and substrate surface conditions.

Keywords

NiAuger electron spectroscopy (AES)devices
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 911: Symposium B – Silicon Carbide 2006 – Materials, Processing and Devices , 2006 , 0911-B10-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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