Thermal characterization of direct wafer bonded Si-on-SiC

Direct bonded Si-on-SiC is an interesting alternative to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) for improved thermal management in power conversion and radio frequency applications in space. We have used transient thermoreflectance and finite element simulations to characterize the thermal properties of direct bonded Si-on-4H-SiC samples, utilizing a hydrophobic and hydrophilic bonding process. In both instances, the interface has good thermal properties resulting in TBReff values of 6+4/-2 m(2) K GW(-1) (hydrophobic) and 9+3/-2 m(2) K GW(-1) (hydrophilic). Two-dimensional finite element simulations for an equivalent MOSFET showed the significant thermal benefit of using Si-on-SiC over SOI. In these simulations, a MOSFET with a 200 nm thick, 42 mu m wide Si drift region was recreated on a SOI structure (2 mu m buried oxide) and on the Si-on-SiC material characterized here. At 5 W mm(-1) power dissipation, the Si-on-SiC was shown to result in a >60% decrease in temperature rise compared to the SOI structure. (C) 2022 Author(s).

Automated summary

Direct bonded Si-on-SiC is a promising alternative for thermal management in power conversion and radio frequency applications in space, and its thermal properties have been characterized using experiments and simulations. The interface of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic bonding processes exhibits good thermal properties. Finite element simulations comparing Si-on-SiC and SOI structures demonstrate the significant thermal advantages of Si-on-SiC, with a >60% decrease in temperature rise.