Al–O–Al defect complexes as possible candidates for channel electron mobility reducing trapping centers in 4H-SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors

The deep-level drain current transient spectroscopy (Id-DLTS) measurements of Al-doped SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) strongly suggest that the reduction in the channel mobility at low temperatures is related to a shallow trap detectable at 70 K. Using the Shockley–Reed–Hall (SRH) theory, the level of this trap has been extracted to be around 0.15 eV below the conduction band minimum of SiC. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of Al Si N C Al Si and Al Si O C Al Si defect complexes have found one configuration of the Al Si O C Al Si complex, which has a charge transition level within the SRH extracted trap level range. Therefore, we suggest that these Al Si O C Al Si defects are likely candidates for traps responsible for the channel mobility reduction.