Individual Characterization of Fast-Responding Trap States at the NO-Annealed SiO$_2$/4H-SiC Interface
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arXiv
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| Autori principali: | , , , , , , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
| Pubblicazione: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866914604824657920 |
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| author | Ono, Takahiro Ohashi, Mizuki Shigeno, Tomohiro Uchida, Yutaro Yasui, Yuuki Kita, Koji Sugimoto, Yoshiaki |
| author_facet | Ono, Takahiro Ohashi, Mizuki Shigeno, Tomohiro Uchida, Yutaro Yasui, Yuuki Kita, Koji Sugimoto, Yoshiaki |
| contents | Fast-responding trap states introduced by NO-annealing are suspected to limit the channel mobility of 4H-SiC MOSFETs, yet their microscopic characterization remains challenging because conventional electrical methods are spatially averaged and do not readily isolate such fast processes. Here, we visualize and analyze individual fast-responding trap states at the NO-annealed SiO$_2$/4H-SiC interface using the energy dissipation signal in frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM), which selectively probes charge-exchange dynamics on sub-$μ$s time scales. Ring-shaped dissipation patterns were observed in the NO-annealed sample but not in the control sample without NO-annealing, indicating that the detected states are associated with nitridation. Spectroscopic measurements were also performed to determine the dependence of energy dissipation on the tip bias and the tip-sample distance. Combined with finite-element electrostatic calculations, this analysis allowed us to determine trap energies relative to the Fermi level, $E_t - E_f$, and revealed that the trap-energy distribution extends toward the interfacial conduction-band edge. These results provide microscopic evidence that NO-annealing generates fast-responding trap states near the SiO$_2$/4H-SiC interface. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_27041 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Individual Characterization of Fast-Responding Trap States at the NO-Annealed SiO$_2$/4H-SiC Interface Ono, Takahiro Ohashi, Mizuki Shigeno, Tomohiro Uchida, Yutaro Yasui, Yuuki Kita, Koji Sugimoto, Yoshiaki Materials Science Fast-responding trap states introduced by NO-annealing are suspected to limit the channel mobility of 4H-SiC MOSFETs, yet their microscopic characterization remains challenging because conventional electrical methods are spatially averaged and do not readily isolate such fast processes. Here, we visualize and analyze individual fast-responding trap states at the NO-annealed SiO$_2$/4H-SiC interface using the energy dissipation signal in frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM), which selectively probes charge-exchange dynamics on sub-$μ$s time scales. Ring-shaped dissipation patterns were observed in the NO-annealed sample but not in the control sample without NO-annealing, indicating that the detected states are associated with nitridation. Spectroscopic measurements were also performed to determine the dependence of energy dissipation on the tip bias and the tip-sample distance. Combined with finite-element electrostatic calculations, this analysis allowed us to determine trap energies relative to the Fermi level, $E_t - E_f$, and revealed that the trap-energy distribution extends toward the interfacial conduction-band edge. These results provide microscopic evidence that NO-annealing generates fast-responding trap states near the SiO$_2$/4H-SiC interface. |
| title | Individual Characterization of Fast-Responding Trap States at the NO-Annealed SiO$_2$/4H-SiC Interface |
| topic | Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.27041 |