Tailoring Surface and Electrical Properties of Ni/4H‐nSiC Schottky Barrier Diodes via Selective Swift Heavy Ion Irradiation

Abstract

In this experiment, the atomic scale surface and electrical properties of Ni/4H‐nSiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD) are selectively modified (using a shadow mask with openings in active area i.e., Schottky contact, of the device only and covered remaining area) and irradiated with 200 MeV 107 Ag 14+ ions at a fluence of 10 13 ions cm −2 . The current–voltage ( I – V ) and the capacitance–voltage ( C – V ) characteristics are discussed in detail to rationalize the performances of pristine and irradiated SBDs. Compared to pristine and conventional way irradiated (i.e., without any mask) SBDs, the I – V characteristics of selectively irradiated SBD show significant improvement in barrier height and leakage current. Atomic force microscopic (AFM) features of selectively irradiated SiC show modified surface properties at irradiated, masked, and transition sites. The observed AFM features are due to the quodons induced transient of atomic disorders/defects in crystalline SiC and their pile‐up at transition site. This controlled way localization of defects reorder the atomic structure at the edges of SBD and thus improves its electrical characteristics.