Morphological Characterization of Molybdenum Contacts on Silicon Carbide Substrates

This project focuses on the morphological and compositional characterization of molybdenum (Mo) contacts applied to silicon carbide (SiC) substrates, with the aim to enhance the efficiency of SiC Schottky diodes. In recent years, wide bandgap semiconductors like silicon carbide (SiC) have become pivotal in power electronics because they offer much better performance if compared to traditional Si-based technology. This leap forward is attributed to the remarkable physical characteristics of these materials, including their wide bandgap, high critical electric field, and high saturation velocity. This class of semiconductors also ensures that devices can function effectively under demanding conditions, such as high temperature, high power, and high-frequency applications and leads to overcome the limitations of Si-based devices in power electronics. Molybdenum is considered a highly suitable material for forming Schottky barriers because of its elevated work function and robust stability. In the fabrication phase, executed by Vishay Semiconductor Italiana, several samples characterized by different pre-treatments were produced in order to investigate the possibility of further enhancement of the SiC-Mo junction. By examining the surface morphology, interface properties, the contact resistance of Mo on SiC and the impact of the annealing process, the aims to refine the fabrication methods and improve the performance of power electronic devices based on SiC technology is achieved by making use of advanced analysis techniques.