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Mitsubishi Electric and the University of Tokyo have reached a cooperation to propose a new mechanism to improve the reliability of SiC power semiconductors

 At the IEEE 64th International Conference on Electronic Devices (IEDM 2018) (December 1st to 5th) in San Francisco, California, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and the University of Tokyo proposed a new mechanism to improve the reliability of SiC power semiconductors.

 
This new mechanism is achieved by confirming some of the electron conduction in the current path of the sulfur capture device at the interface between the gate oxide and SiC, increasing the threshold voltage without changing the on-resistance of the device. This mechanism is expected to increase the resistance of electromagnetic equipment to electromagnetic noise (we know that electromagnetic noise can cause system failure).
 
In this study, Mitsubishi Electric conducted the design and manufacture of SiC power semiconductor devices, and analyzed the electron capture of sulfur in the current path, while the University of Tokyo conducted electronic scattering measurements. At present, it has been considered that sulfur is not a suitable element for providing electron conduction in current conduction in SiC power semiconductor devices as compared with conventional nitrogen or phosphorus. However, Mitsubishi Electric and the University of Tokyo have focused on the study of sulfur of different properties in recent years, arguing that the inherent nature of sulfur in SiC tends to capture electrons. The confirmation of this characteristic is the basis for proposing a new mechanism for the SiC power semiconductor device.
 
In this mechanism, an appropriate amount of sulfur ions and distribution in SiC block electrons in the vicinity of the interface to some extent, so the threshold voltage can be increased without affecting the on-resistance. At present, people are actively seeking suitable atoms capable of providing such electrical characteristics to implement devices that are resistant to external electromagnetic noise and are less prone to failure. In this regard, the new mechanism is superior to conventional mechanisms and can maintain low on-resistance.
 
Mitsubishi Electric said that in the future, their goal is to continue to improve the design and specifications of their SiC metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (SiC MOSFETs) to further improve the reliability of SiC power semiconductor devices.

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