A Study of a-SiC/c-Si(n) Isotype Heterojunctions

Abstract

In the present work a study of the electrical properties of heterojunctions between rf sputtered amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) thin films and n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrates is reported. The current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics, as well as the temperature dependence of the current of a-SiC/c-Si(n) heterojunctions were measured. The I-V characteristics of a-SiC/c-Si(n) heterojunctions exhibit poor rectification properties, with a high reverse current, at higher temperatures (T > 250K), whereas good rectification properties are obtained at lower temperatures (T < 250K). It was found that the a-SiC/c-Si(n) heterojunctions are isotype, suggesting that the conductivity of a-SiC is n-type. The temperature dependence of the current (from 185K to 320K) showed that the majority carriers of c-Si(n) (i.e. electrons) are transported from c-Si(n) to a-SiC mainly by the thermionic emission mechanism, or by the drift-diffusion mechanism. From C-V measurements of a-SiC/c-Si(n) heterojunctions the electron affinity of a-SiC was found to be X1 = 4.20 ± 0.04 eV. Finally, the a-SiC/c-Si(n) isotype heterojunctions are expected to be interesting devices as infrared detectors. © 1993, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers S.A.