Design and fabrication of silicon-on-silicon-carbide substrates and power devices for space applications

Abstract

A new generation of power electronic semiconductor devices are being developed for the benefit of space and terrestrial harsh-environment applications. 200-600 V lateral transistors and diodes are being fabricated in a thin layer of silicon (Si) wafer bonded to silicon carbide (SiC). This novel silicon-on-silicon-carbide (Si/SiC) substrate solution promises to combine the benefits of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology (i.e device confinement, radiation tolerance, high and low temperature performance) with that of SiC (i.e. high thermal conductivity, radiation hardness, high temperature performance). Details of a process are given that produces thin films of silicon 1, 2 and 5 μm thick on semi-insulating 4H-SiC. Simulations of the hybrid Si/SiC substrate show that the high thermal conductivity of the SiC offers a junction-to-case temperature ca. 4× less that an equivalent SOI device; reducing the effects of self-heating, and allowing much greater power density. Extensive electrical simulations are used to optimise a 600 V laterally diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (LDMOSFET) implemented entirely within the silicon thin film, and highlight the differences between Si/SiC and SOI solutions.