Characterization of paramagnetic defect centers in three polytypes of dry heat treated, oxidized SiC

This work describes the characterization of defect centers in 3C–SiC, 4H–SiC, and 6H–SiC. The different SiC crystal structures are examined with electron paramagnetic resonance after thermal oxidation, and after dry (<1 ppm H2O) N2 or O2 heat treatment. The centers are described by g values that range from 2.0025 to 2.0029, which are typical of C dangling bonds. Because the centers are activated in ambients that eliminate H2O and are passivated in ambients that contain H2O, it is suggested that the centers are C dangling bonds created during the dry heat treatment when hydrogen or a hydrogenous species releases from C bonds. The activation characteristics for the centers is the same for both 6H and 3C polytypes; however, centers in the 6H–SiC samples are passivated at lower temperatures than the centers in the 3C–SiC samples. The passivation behavior is attributed to differences in the hydrogen diffusion rates in these materials rather than significant differences in the chemistry of the centers. Etching ...

[1]  J. Stathis.  Dissociation kinetics of hydrogen‐passivated (100) Si/SiO2 interface defects , 1995 .

[2]  W. J. Choyke,et al.  Comparative oxidation studies of SiC(0001̄) and SiC(0001) surfaces , 1986 .

[3]  M. Brodsky,et al.  Electron Spin Resonance in Amorphous Silicon, Germanium, and Silicon Carbide , 1969 .

[4]  C. Cardinaud,et al.  Network connectivity and structural defects in a-C:H films , 1995 .

[5]  M. E. Zvanut,et al.  Generation and annealing characteristics of paramagnetic centers in oxidized 3C-SiC and 6H-SiC , 1999 .

[6]  G. Wagoner.  SPIN RESONANCE OF CHARGE CARRIERS IN GRAPHITE , 1960 .

[7]  P. J. Macfarlane,et al.  The interaction of H2O with an electron paramagnetic resonance center in oxidized, heat treated SiC , 1997 .

[8]  Zhou,et al.  Hydrogen-related defects in polycrystalline CVD diamond. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[9]  Andersson,et al.  Electron states and microstructure of thin a-C:H layers. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[10]  Goodman,et al.  Tight-binding study of interaction time in molecular switches. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[11]  John W. Palmour,et al.  Improved oxidation procedures for reduced SiO2/SiC defects , 1996 .

[12]  Kuruvilla Verghese,et al.  Hydrogen Diffusion and Solubility in Silicon Carbide , 1978 .

[13]  Demichelis,et al.  pi bands and gap states from optical absorption and electron-spin-resonance studies on amorphous carbon and amorphous hydrogenated carbon films. , 1991, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[14]  M. Kitabatake,et al.  Characterization of Surface Conductive Diamond Layer Grown by Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition , 1993 .

[15]  Inspec,et al.  Properties of silicon carbide , 1995 .

[16]  Tatsuo Shimizu,et al.  A simple molecular orbital calculation of ESR g-values for amorphous Si1−xCx, Si1−xGex and Ge1−xCx , 1982 .

[17]  W. J. Choyke,et al.  Comparative electron spectroscopic studies of surface segregation on SiC(0001) and SiC(0001̄) , 1986 .

[18]  Bruce E. Deal,et al.  ESR centers, interface states, and oxide fixed charge in thermally oxidized silicon wafers , 1979 .

[19]  E. Sakuma,et al.  Electron spin resonance in electron-irradiated 3C-SiC , 1989 .

[20]  G. K. Walters,et al.  Paramagnetic Resonance of Defects Introduced Near the Surface of Solids by Mechanical Damage , 1961 .

[21]  A. Abragam,et al.  Theory of the nuclear hyperfine structure of paramagnetic resonance spectra in crystals , 1951, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

[22]  L. Balona,et al.  ESR in irradiated silicon carbide , 1970 .

[23]  G. Somorjai,et al.  The surface oxidation of alpha-silicon carbide by O2 from 300 to 1373 K , 1991 .

[24]  R. C. Weast.  CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics , 1973 .