Amplifier Based on 4H-SiC MOSFET Operation at 500 °C for Harsh Environment Applications

Successful operation of 4H-silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET and integrated electronic circuit based on 4H-SiC MOSFET is reported at temperature up to 500 degrees C in air. The high-temperature operation of the integrated circuit (IC) based on 4H-SiC MOSFET strongly depends on the reliability of metal/SiC contact. Based on the transfer length method (TLM), the Ni/Nb/n-type 4H-SiC junction exhibits ohmic behavior with specific contact resistance of 1.86 x 10(-4) Omega.cm(2) when operating at 500 degrees C. In contrast, the voltage gain of the amplifier is strongly governed by the variation of carrier mobility of the 4H-SiC MOSFET when temperature varies from room temperature to 500 degrees C. The experimental results show that, when the temperature is increased from 20 degrees C to 300 degrees C, the amplifier gain of the IC increased from 23.8 to 153.0. Though the voltage gain decreases when the temperature increases above 300 degrees C, it is still higher than 50 at 500 degrees C. These results indicate that integrated electronic circuits based on this 4H-SiC MOSFET technology could be potentially used for harsh environment applications.

Automated summary

This study reports the successful operation of 4H-silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET and integrated electronic circuit at temperatures up to 500 degrees C, with the reliability of metal/SiC contact playing a crucial role. The experimental results show that the voltage gain of the amplifier increases with temperature up to 300 degrees C, but slightly decreases above 300 degrees C.