Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T06:05:14.905Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence Of Silicon Defects On The Electrical Behavior Of Semiconductor Power Devices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

H.-J. Schulze  and
B.O. Kolbesen
H.-J. Schulze
Affiliation:
Corporate Technology, Siemens AG, Munich, Germany
B.O. Kolbesen
Affiliation:
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitiit, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
Get access

Abstract

Since power devices require a thick electrically active n-type silicon layer with high resistivity and a large area, their electrical characteristics are extremely sensitive to contamination. If heavy metals diffuse into the silicon wafers during the high-temperature steps, an uncontrolled increase in the leakage current and the on-state voltage can be observed. Furthermore, current filamentation and instabilities of the electrical data can occur. It turned out that the optimization of the cleaning processes, high-temperature steps and gettering treatments alone is not sufficient to avoid such effects. It is also important to avoid silicon crystal defects by proper processing. A dramatic increase in the leakage current was correlated with the appearance of silicon defects decorated with heavy metals. As a consequence of the low doping level of the n-base, the blocking voltage and the failure rate due to cosmic radiation are sensitive to contaminating atoms acting as donors.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 483: Symposium E – Power Semiconductor Materials & Devices , 1997 , 381
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Taylor, I. P.D., Thyristor Design and Realization Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 1987.Google Scholar
2. Kabza, H., Schulze, H.-J., Gerstenmaier, Y., Voss, P., Wilhelmi, J., Schmid, W., Pfirsch, F. and Platzöder, K., Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices & ICs, Davos, p. 9 (1994)Google Scholar
3. Rosnowski, W., J. Electrochem. Soc., 125, p. 957 (1978)Google Scholar
4. Schwarzbauer, H., Kuhnert, R., IEEE/IAS Conf. Proc., p. 1348 (1989)Google Scholar
5. Schulze, H.-J., Deboy, G., Proc. of the SPIE Conf, Austin, 2638, p. 234 (1995)Google Scholar
6. Schulze, H.-J., Ludge, A., Riemann, H., J. Electrochem. Soc., 143, p.4105 (1996)Google Scholar
7. Zoth, G., Bergholz, W., J. Appl. Phys. 67, p. 6764 (1990)Google Scholar
8. Kimerling, L.C., Benton, J.L., Physica 116B, p. 297 (1983)Google Scholar
9. Lemke, H., Phys. Stat. Sol. (a) 64, p. 215 (1981)Google Scholar
10. Kissinger, G., Vanhellemont, J., Gräf, D., Claeys, C., Richter, H., Proceedings Volume of the RIP VI Conference, Estes Parc, Colorado, 149, p. 19 (1995)Google Scholar
11. Ammon, W., Dornberger, E., Oelkrug, H., Weidner, H., J. of Crystal Growth, 151, p. 273 (1995)Google Scholar
12. Walton, J.T., Lee, J.S., Lewak, D., Wong, Y.K., Cummings, A.C., Mewaldt, R.A., Wiedenbeck, M.E., Knowlton, W.B., Haller, E.E., Proc. of the Electrochem. Soc., 96–13, p. 407 (1996)Google Scholar