Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), energy levels of the carbon vacancy (V(C)) in 4H-SiC and its negative-U properties have been determined. Combining EPR and deep-level transient ...spectroscopy we show that the two most common defects in as-grown 4H-SiC--the Z(1/2) lifetime-limiting defect and the EH(7) deep defect--are related to the double acceptor (2-|0) and single donor (0|+) levels of V(C), respectively.
This paper evaluates the capability of SiC power semiconductor devices, in particular JFET and Schottky barrier diodes (SBD) for application in high-temperature power electronics. SiC JFETs and SBDs ...were packaged in high temperature packages to measure the dc characteristics of these SiC devices at ambient temperatures ranging from 25degC (room temperature) up to 450degC. The results show that both devices can operate at 450degC, which is impossible for conventional Si devices, at the expense of significant derating. The current capability of the SiC SBD does not change with temperature, but as expected the JFET current decreases with rising temperatures. A 100 V, 25 W dc-dc converter is used as an example of a high-temperature power-electronics circuit because of circuit simplicity. The converter is designed and built in accordance with the static characteristics of the SiC devices measured under extremely high ambient temperatures, and then tested up to an ambient temperature of 400degC. The conduction loss of the SiC JFET increases slightly with increasing temperatures, as predicted from its dc characteristics, but its switching characteristics hardly change. Thus, SiC devices are well suited for operation in harsh temperature environments like aerospace and automotive applications.
High molecular weight organic compounds (HMW-OCs), formed as secondary organic aerosols (SOA), have been reported in many laboratory studies. However, little evidence of HMW-OCs formation, in ...particular during winter season in the real atmosphere, has been reported. In January 2013, Beijing faced historically severe haze pollution, in which the hourly PM2.5 concentration reached as high as 974 μg m−3. Four typical haze events (HE1 to HE4) were identified, and HE2 (Jan. 9–16) was the most serious of these. Based on the hourly observed chemical composition of PM2.5 and the daily organic composition analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), we found that abundant ion peaks in m/z 200–850 appeared on heavy haze days, whereas these were negligible on a clear day, indicating the existence of HMW-OCs in the wintertime haze. A negative nonlinear correlation between HMW-OCs and O3 suggested that gas oxidation was not likely to be the dominant mechanism for HMW-OCs formation. During the heavy haze events, the relative humidity and mass ratio of H2O/PM2.5 reached as high as 80% and 0.2, respectively. The high water content and its good positive correlation with HMW-OCs indicated that an aqueous-phase process may be a significant pathway in wintertime. The evidence that acidity was much higher during HE2 (0.37 μg m−3) than on other days, as well as its strong correlation with HMW-OCs, indicated that acid-catalyzed reactions likely resulted in HMW-OCs formation during the heavy winter haze in Beijing.
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•High molecular weight organic compounds (HMW-OCs) in PM2.5 during winter haze pollution are observed directly.•The acidity of aerosol and water content play important roles in the formation of HMW-OCs.•Gas oxidation was probably not the dominant mechanism for HMW-OCs formation in winter.•Our findings have important implications for SOA formation and for the model improvement.
The aerosol acidity and water content played more important roles than O3 oxidation in the formation of HMW-OCs during winter haze.
A comprehensive introduction and up-to-date reference to SiC power semiconductor devices covering topics from material properties to applications Based on a number of breakthroughs in SiC material ...science and fabrication technology in the 1980s and 1990s, the first SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) were released as commercial products in 2001. The SiC SBD market has grown significantly since that time, and SBDs are now used in a variety of power systems, particularly switch-mode power supplies and motor controls. SiC power MOSFETs entered commercial production in 2011, providing rugged, high- efficiency switches for high-frequency power systems. In this wide-ranging book, the authors draw on their considerable experience to present both an introduction to SiC materials, devices, and applications and an in-depth reference for scientists and engineers working in this fast-moving field. Fundamentals of Silicon Carbide Technology covers basic properties of SiC materials, processing technology, theory and analysis of practical devices, and an overview of the most important systems applications. Specifically included are: * A complete discussion of SiC material properties, bulk crystal growth, epitaxial growth, device fabrication technology, and characterization techniques. * Device physics and operating equations for Schottky diodes, pin diodes, JBS/MPS diodes, JFETs, MOSFETs, BJTs, IGBTs, and thyristors. * A survey of power electronics applications, including switch-mode power supplies, motor drives, power converters for electric vehicles, and converters for renewable energy sources. * Coverage of special applications, including microwave devices, high-temperature electronics, and rugged sensors. * Fully illustrated throughout, the text is written by recognized experts with over 45 years of combined experience in SiC research and development. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers in crystal growth, material science, and semiconductor device technology. The book is also useful for design engineers, application engineers, and product managers in areas such as power supplies, converter and inverter design, electric vehicle technology, high-temperature electronics, sensors, and smart grid technology.
The expansion of double-Shockley stacking faults (DSFs) in 4H-SiC was investigated by a photoluminescence (PL) imaging technique. To observe DSFs nondestructively, heavily-nitrogen-doped epilayers ...were prepared to be used as specimens and the PL technique was applied for the observation. The size and shape of the DSFs in the epilayer were clearly distinguished in the two dimensional PL images, although it is normally difficult to observe luminescence from DSFs in substrates grown by the sublimation method. The nucleation and expansion of the DSFs were tracked in the course of successive high-temperature annealing. Dislocation velocities of Shockley partials along the edge of the DSFs were evaluated from the PL observations. Activation energy for the dislocation glide was estimated from the temperature dependence of the velocities. The nucleation sites of the DSFs are also discussed.
•DSFs in heavily-nitrogen-doped epilayer were clearly observed in PL images.•Behavior of the DSF during high-temperature annealing was tracked.•Expansion velocity increased as temperature was elevated.•Activation energy for the dislocation glide was obtained.•Mechanical stress and mismatch stress seemed to trigger DSF nucleation.
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