Theory of SiC Schottky Barrier Conduction and Model Analysis for Diode Breakdown With and Without Screw Dislocations

Silicon Carbide is a very promising candidate for applications in high-power, high-temperature, and high-radiation conditions under which conventional semiconductors cannot perform adequately. However, the SiC processing technology has not yet reached maturity. There is also limited knowledge of its physical and chemical characteristics, and its device behavior is not well understood. The aim of this thesis is to analyze two specific problems in the SiC area. The first issue involves the large discrepancy between experimental I - V characteristics of SiC Schottky diodes and their theoretical values. The observed data, especially at low voltages, is found to be orders of magnitude larger than predicted by simple thermionic emission theory. A second problem is the premature breakdown in SiC p+n diodes seen to be associated with elementary screw dislocations.