Publication Date

5-18-2026

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Materials Science Forum

Volume

1190

DOI

10.4028/p-QUWd3K

First Page

89

Last Page

94

Abstract

This work explores the role of implantation depth in suppressing bipolar degradation of 4H-SiC PiN diodes through proton implantation. Targeting depths aligned with active basal plane dislocations (BPDs) effectively reduces stacking-fault expansion, as confirmed by electroluminescence imaging [1,2]. From these observations, we quantified the effective range of suppression in both depth and safe operating current density. Room-temperature proton implantation (170keV, 1×1016 cm-2) into the buffer reduced forward-voltage drift ΔVF by 97% at 600A/cm2 . The implanted diode extended the safe operating current range to 1300A/cm2, ~200A/cm2 higher than the reference, confirming effective suppression of bipolar degradation. Once the suppression barrier, defined as a critical excess hole density threshold, was exceeded, the proton-implanted diode exhibited explosive basal plane dislocation activity, leading to the formation of multiple bar-shaped stacking faults. These active BPDs are located deeper than the proton-implant tail, at a depth of around 11.4µm; however, the threshold hole density required for their activation remains approximately the same (~ 4×1016 cm-3) [3].

Keywords

and Electroluminescence, Basal Plane Dislocation, Bipolar Degradation, Forward Voltage Drop, Minority Carrier Lifetime, Proton Implantation, SiC PiN Diode, Stacking Fault, TCAD

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Electrical Engineering

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