SiC on Si as platform technology

It can be stated that silicon carbide, in particular its 4H and 6H polytypes, has matured as a semiconductor material. Device-quality wafers up to 100 mm in diameter are commercially available, enabling the development of discrete devices for applications such as power and RF electronics and providing substrates for GaN-based optoelectronics. Perhaps the most intriguing electronic property of silicon carbide is that it is the only semiconductor material other than silicon that can have electronically passivated surface to industrial standards. The surface passivation is the main reason for the dominance of silicon but, in addition to that, silicon carbide has superior bulk properties. This combination of factors raises the question whether silicon carbide can play a role in mainstream electronics (integrated-circuit based complex systems). This question is addressed in this presentation. Analysis of both technical and commercial factors and challenges leads to a conclusion that developing a silicon-carbide film on silicon wafers is the most promising way for silicon carbide to enter the mainstream electronics. Furthermore, the development of nonvolatile memory elements in SiC is identified as the application that can spearhead the development of SiC on Si. The main technical challenges for the development of 3C SiC films on Si are due to the relatively large mismatch in crystal- lattice constant and thermal-expansion coefficient. Although these are formidable challenges, it may be argued that they are much easier to solve than the challenges associated with any of the non-semiconductor materials that have attracted large investments as potential memory materials deposited on Si wafers. In addition to memory applications, SiC films deposited on Si wafers could be utilized for a number of other potential applications, including smart power devices and superior micro-electromechanical systems. This is why SiC on Si is referred to as the platform technology. The strategy of SiC on Si as a platform technology is pursued at the newly established Queensland Microtechnology Facility at Griffith University.