Ion implantation-induced damage in 4H-SiC detected by photo-modulated reflectance

The benefits of the wide bandgap semiconductor silicon carbide (SiC) for use in high-voltage and low-loss power devices [1] are driven by fundamental material properties of high breakdown field and thermal conductivity. Ion implantation is a key doping technique in SiC device processing which requires efficient methods for dose monitoring after room temperature or elevated temperature implantation. In this work we apply photo-modulated reflectance (PMR) as an effective technique to monitor implantation dose and implantation temperature through electro-optic and thermo-optic effects influenced by residual defects in as-implanted SiC. Note, the PMR technique is widely used for implantation process monitoring in silicon device manufacturing. The present work on 4H-SiC is based on our previous experience with the PMR technique applied for Si wafers implanted with different dopants in a wide range of ion energies and ion doses [2 –4].