Realization and optimization of super-junction structures for high-efficiency silicon carbide power devices

  • Shijing Wang orcid

    Shanghai AnBang Semi Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

    Shanghai BangXin Semi Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Mingyu Zhang

    Shanghai BangXin Semi Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Jie Liang

    Shanghai AnBang Semi Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

    Shanghai BangXin Semi Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Leyi Tu

    Shanghai AnBang Semi Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

    Shanghai BangXin Semi Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Jian Li

    Shanghai BangXin Semi Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Zhiqian Gui

    Shanghai BangXin Semi Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Jiale Zhu

    Shanghai AnBang Semi Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Qian Wu

    Shanghai AnBang Semi Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Deqin He

    Shanghai AnBang Semi Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Haixin Qiu

    Shanghai BangXin Semi Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

  • Zhaoxiang Wang

    Shanghai AnBang Semi Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

    Shanghai BangXin Semi Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China

Article ID: 4128
Keywords: silicon carbide, super-junction trench, high-aspect-ratio, etch selectivity, side wall profile

Abstract

In this study, various silicon carbide (SiC) trench and via pattern etching processes are investigated, and high-aspect-ratio super-junction (SJ) structures are successfully fabricated. SiC SJ trenches are promising for ultra-high-voltage power device applications. Using a SiO₂ hard mask, SiC trenches with aspect ratios from 3:1 to 15:1 and depths exceeding 21 μm are prepared. Etch selectivity (SiC/SiO₂) is calculated based on the etched thicknesses of SiC and SiO₂ under the same process, and the selectivity can exceed 10:1 by optimizing hardware configuration and process parameters, especially gas combination and equipment settings. The significant effect of sidewall roughness transfers from the oxide hard mask to the SiC substrate is revealed. A smooth and optimized oxide hard mask sidewall is the key to reducing the final SiC sidewall roughness during pattern transfer. Full-wafer uniformity is improved by multiple tuning methods, including power ratio split, gas ratio split, temperature distribution control, and refined process parameters. Excellent uniformity is achieved: SiC trench critical dimension (CD) variation below 2%, SiC etch depth uniformity below 1%, and sidewall angles above 88° across the entire wafer. Long-term tool stability is verified over 10 consecutive months of etch rate monitoring with standard monitor wafers. The etch rate variation is controlled within 3% and uniformity below 2%, demonstrating reliable mass-production manufacturability of the SiC trench process.

Published
2026-06-03
How to Cite
Wang, S., Zhang, M., Liang, J., Tu, L., Li, J., Gui, Z., Zhu, J., Wu, Q., He, D., Qiu, H., & Wang, Z. (2026). Realization and optimization of super-junction structures for high-efficiency silicon carbide power devices. Materials Technology Reports, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.59400/mtr4128
Section
Article

References

[1]She X, Huang AQ, Lucia O, et al. Review of Silicon Carbide Power Devices and Their Applications. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. 2017; 64(10): 8193–8205. doi: 10.1109/TIE.2017.2652401

[2]Golosov MA, Lozanov VV, Titov AT, et al. Toward understanding the reaction between silicon carbide and iridium in a broad temperature range. Journal of the American Ceramic Society. 2021; 104(12): 6653–6669. doi: 10.1111/jace.17978

[3]Cheng H, Wang H, Zhang C, et al. 6.5-kV Class 4H-SiC Deep Epi-Refilled Super-Junction Schottky Diode With Record Performance Over 7.2 GW/cm2. IEEE Electron Device Letters. 2026; 47(3): 582–585. doi: 10.1109/LED.2025.3650153

[4]Yin S, Tseng KJ, Simanjorang R, et al. A 50-kW High-Frequency and High-Efficiency SiC Voltage Source Inverter for More Electric Aircraft. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. 2017; 64(11): 9124–9134. doi: 10.1109/TIE.2017.2696490

[5]Zhang C, Srdic S, Lukic S, et al. A SiC-Based 100 kW High-Power-Density (34 kW/L) Electric Vehicle Traction Inverter. In: Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE); 23–27 September 2018; Portland, OR, USA. pp. 3880–3885. doi: 10.1109/ECCE.2018.8558373

[6]Cao QZ, Renz AB, Gammon PM, et al. Trench Etch Processing for SiC Superjunction Schottky Diodes. Materials Science Forum. 2025; 1159: 21–29. doi: 10.4028/p-kHnn3Q

[7]Hussein A, Castellazzi A, Wheeler P, et al. Performance benchmark of Si IGBTs vs. SiC MOSFETs in small-scale wind energy conversion systems. In: Proceedings of the 2016 IEEE International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference (PEMC); 25–30 September 2016; Varna, Bulgaria. pp. 963–968. doi: 10.1109/EPEPEMC.2016.7752124

[8]Narayanasamy B, Sathyanarayanan AS, Luo F, et al. Reflected Wave Phenomenon in SiC Motor Drives: Consequences, Boundaries, and Mitigation. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2020; 35(10): 10629–10642. doi: 10.1109/TPEL.2020.2975217

[9]Hamada K, Nagao M, Ajioka M, et al. SiC—Emerging Power Device Technology for Next-Generation Electrically Powered Environmentally Friendly Vehicles. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices. 2015; 62(2): 278–285. doi: 10.1109/TED.2014.2359240

[10]Galloway KF, Witulski AF, Schrimpf RD, et al. Failure Estimates for SiC Power MOSFETs in Space Electronics. Aerospace. 2018; 5(3): 67. doi: 10.3390/aerospace5030067

[11]Fletcher ASA, Nirmal D, Ajayan J, et al. Is SiC a Predominant Technology for Future High Power Electronics?: A Critical Review. Current Nanoscience. 2025; 21(1): 37–51. doi: 10.2174/0115734137268803231120111751

[12]Boccarossa M, Melnyk K, Renz AB, et al. A 3.3 kV SiC Semi-Superjunction MOSFET with Trench Sidewall Implantations. Micromachines. 2025; 16(2): 188. doi: 10.3390/mi16020188

[13]Soler V, Cabello M, Berthou M, et al. High-Voltage 4H-SiC Power MOSFETs With Boron-Doped Gate Oxide. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. 2017; 64(11): 8962–8970. doi: 10.1109/TIE.2017.2723865

[14]Han K, Baliga BJ, Sung W. A Novel 1.2 kV 4H-SiC Buffered-Gate (BG) MOSFET: Analysis and Experimental Results. IEEE Electron Device Letters. 2018; 39(2): 248–251. doi: 10.1109/LED.2017.2785771

[15]Han K, Baliga BJ. Analysis and Experimental Quantification of 1.2-kV 4H-SiC Split-Gate Octagonal MOSFET. IEEE Electron Device Letters. 2019; 40(7): 1163–1166. doi: 10.1109/LED.2019.2917637

[16]Aiba R, Matsui K, Baba M, et al. Demonstration of Superior Electrical Characteristics for 1.2 kV SiC Schottky Barrier Diode-Wall Integrated Trench MOSFET With Higher Schottky Barrier Height Metal. IEEE Electron Device Letters. 2020; 41(12): 1810–1813. doi: 10.1109/LED.2020.3031598

[17]Ni W, Wang X, Xu M, et al. Comparative Study of SiC Planar MOSFETs With Different p-Body Designs. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices. 2020; 67(3): 1071–1076. doi: 10.1109/TED.2020.2966775

[18]Ni Z, Lyu X, Yadav OP, et al. Overview of Real-Time Lifetime Prediction and Extension for SiC Power Converters. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2020; 35(8): 7765–7794. doi: 10.1109/TPEL.2019.2962503

[19]Vudumula P, Kotamraju S. Design and Optimization of SiC Super-Junction MOSFET Using Vertical Variation Doping Profile. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices. 2019; 66(3): 1402–1408. doi: 10.1109/TED.2019.2894650

[20]Song Q, Yang S, Tang G, et al. 4H-SiC Trench MOSFET With L-Shaped Gate. IEEE Electron Device Letters. 2016; 37(4): 463–466. doi: 10.1109/LED.2016.2533432

[21]Zhong X, Wang B, Wang J, et al. Experimental Demonstration and Analysis of a 1.35-kV 0.92-m Ω·cm2 SiC Superjunction Schottky Diode. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices. 2018; 65(4): 1458–1465. doi: 10.1109/TED.2018.2809475

[22]Racka-Szmidt K, Stonio B, Żelazko J, et al. A Review: Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching of Silicon Carbide. Materials. 2021; 15(1): 123. doi: 10.3390/ma15010123

[23]Yuan D, Zhong Y, Cheong KY, et al. Inductively coupled plasma etching of silicon carbide: A review. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics. 2025; 36(36): 2264. doi: 10.1007/s10854-025-16312-7

[24]Dowling KM, Ransom EH, Senesky DG. Profile Evolution of High Aspect Ratio Silicon Carbide Trenches by Inductive Coupled Plasma Etching. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems. 2017; 26(1): 135–142. doi: 10.1109/JMEMS.2016.2621131

[25]Pirnaci MD, Spitaleri L, Tenaglia D, et al. Systematic Characterization of Plasma-Etched Trenches on 4H-SiC Wafers. ACS Omega. 2021; 6(31): 20667–20675. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.1c02905

[26]Tan X, Lin G, Ji A, et al. Plasma etching of silicon carbide trenches with high aspect ratio and rounded corners. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing. 2025; 188: 109172. doi: 10.1016/j.mssp.2024.109172

[27]Turner K, Colston G, Stokeley K, et al. Effect of Mesa Sidewall Angle on 4H‐Silicon Carbide Trench Filling Epitaxy Using Trichlorosilane and Hydrogen Chloride. Advanced Materials Interfaces. 2024; 11(33): 2400466. doi: 10.1002/admi.202400466

[28]Ma R, Wang R, Fang H, et al. A Novel Deep-Trench Super-Junction SiC MOSFET with Improved Specific On-Resistance. Micromachines. 2024; 15(6): 684. doi: 10.3390/mi15060684

[29]Li N, Liu Z, Lotfi A, et al. Advances in High-Aspect-Ratio Deep Reactive Ion Etching of 4H-Silicon Carbide Wafers. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems. 2024; 33(6): 776–784. doi: 10.1109/JMEMS.2024.3466769

[30]Michaels JA, Delegan N, Tsaturyan Y, et al. Bias-pulsed atomic layer etching of 4H-silicon carbide producing subangstrom surface roughness. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A. 2023; 41(3): 032607. doi: 10.1116/6.0002447

[31]Wang S, Liang J, Tu L, et al. SiC Trench Etch with Varying Aspect Ratio and Rounded Corner. In: Proceedings of the 2025 Conference of Science and Technology of Integrated Circuits (CSTIC); 24 March 2025; Shanghai, China. pp. 1–4. doi: 10.1109/CSTIC64481.2025.11018040