Investigating Structural and Surface Modifications in Ion-Implanted 4H-SiC for Enhanced Dopant Distribution Analysis in Power Semiconductors

Materials (Basel). 2024 Nov 23;17(23):5734. doi: 10.3390/ma17235734.

Abstract

This study aims to develop a reference material that enables precise management of dopant distribution in power semiconductors. We thoroughly investigate the structural and surface properties of 4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC) single crystals implanted without annealing using aluminum (Al) and phosphorus (P) ions. Ion-implanted 4H-SiC was thoroughly evaluated using advanced techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), time of flight medium energy ion scattering (ToF-MEIS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The evaluated results indicate that, without post-annealing, ion-implanted 4H-SiC can serve as an effective reference material for the precise control of trace elements and the quantitative monitoring of dopant distribution in power semiconductor applications.

Keywords: ion implantation; power semiconductor; quantitative analysis; secondary ion mass spectrometry; silicon carbide; surface morphology.