RUI: Improved Thermal Stability of Metal Contacts and Diffusion Barriers to SiC and AlxGa1-xN using Refractory Metal Borides

本研究的目的是开发SiC和AlxGa1-xN半导体的热稳定欧姆和肖特基触点。这些半导体适用于制造用于高温和高功率操作的电子器件，因此需要在这些条件下保持稳定性的金属化。该方法是引入精选的难熔金属硼化物（ZrB2, CrB2, TiB2， HfB2和W2B5）作为这些半导体的欧姆和肖特基触点和扩散势垒。这些将通过光刻和溅射沉积制造，并使用各种方法进行表征，包括电流电压，电容电压，透射电子显微镜和卢瑟福后向散射光谱。将在各种条件下对触点进行退火，并评估其电学和微观结构，以评估其热稳定性。更广泛的影响：热稳定欧姆和肖特基触点的可用性是实现基于SiC和AlxGa1-xN半导体的高性能器件的主要障碍。所选硼化物的性质强烈表明它们在高温和高功率应用中是稳定的。该研究将通过深入的研究来完善目前关于碳化硅和AlxGa1-xN的接触体使用硼化物的知识基础。智能优势：本研究开发的热稳定金属化材料将用于制造具有扩展高温和高功率操作限制的电子器件。这些反过来将使巨大的能源节约，提高性能和可靠性的公用事业电力，航空航天，汽车和军事应用。拟议的研究也将有助于加强研究项目，在那里本科生和研究生接受半导体研究方面的培训。

The objective of this research is to develop thermally stable ohmic and Schottky contacts to SiC and AlxGa1-xN semiconductors. These semiconductors are suitable for fabricating electronic devices for high temperature and high power operations, and therefore require metallizations that maintain stability under these conditions. The approach is to introduce selected refractory metal borides (ZrB2, CrB2, TiB2, HfB2 and W2B5) as ohmic and Schottky contacts and as diffusion barriers on these semiconductors. These will be fabricated by photolithography and sputter deposition, and characterized using various methods including current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The contacts will be annealed under various conditions and their electrical and microstructure evaluated in order to assess their thermal stability. Broader Impact: Availability of thermally stable ohmic and Schottky contacts is a major hurdle in achieving high performance devices based on SiC and AlxGa1-xN semiconductors. The properties of the selected borides strongly suggest they will be stable in high temperature and high power applications. The proposed research will advance the currently scanty knowledge base of the use of borides as contacts for SiC and AlxGa1-xN through thorough investigation.Intellectual Merit:The thermally stable metallizations developed in this research will be used in fabricating electronic devices with extended high temperature and high power operation limits. These in turn will enable huge energy savings, increased performance and reliability in the utility power, the aerospace, automobile and military applications. The proposed research will also help strengthen the research programs where undergraduate and graduate students are trained in semiconductor research.