The Dependence of Offset Voltage in p-Type 3C-SiC van der Pauw Device on Applied Strain

This letter reports for the first time the strain dependence of the offset voltage in p-type 3C-SiC van der Pauw square device. The p-type 3C-SiC thin film was epitaxially grown on a p-type Si(100) wafer using low pressure chemical vapor deposition followed by a conventional photolithography and dry etch processes, forming four-terminal van der Pauw device. The influence of applied tensile and compressive strain on the offset voltage of the van der Pauw device was investigated using the bending beam method. Experimental results showed that the offset voltage of the device is significantly changed by applied compressive and tensile strain, indicating the feasibility of using this effect for mechanical sensing applications. The sensitivity of the device to the applied strain has been found to be 70 (mV/A)/ppm.