High Channel Mobility 4H-SiC MOSFETs

We report investigations of MOS and MOSFET devices using a gate oxide grown in the presence of sintered alumina. In contrast to conventionally grown dry or wet oxides these oxides contain orders of magnitude lower density of near-interface traps at the SiO2/SiC interface. The reduction of interface traps is correlated with enhanced oxidation rate. The absence of near-interface traps makes possible fabrication of Si face 4H-SiC MOSFETs with peak field effect mobility of about 150 cm2/Vs. A clear correlation is observed between the field effect mobility in n-channel MOSFETs and the density of interface states near the SiC conduction band edge in n-type MOS capacitors. Stable operation of such normally-off 4H-SiC MOSFET transistors is observed from room temperature up to 150°C with positive threshold voltage shift less than 1 V. A small decrease in current with temperature up to 150°C is related to a decrease in the field effect mobility due to phonon scattering. However, the gate oxides contain sodium, which originates from the sintered alumina, resulting in severe device instabilities during negative gate bias stressing.