Integration of electrically detected magnetic resonance on a chip (EDMRoC) with charge pumping for low-cost and sensitive defect characterization in silicon carbide metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors

Abstract

Electrical detection of magnetic resonance (EDMR), a variant of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in which the magnetic resonance effect is detected via changes in the electrical properties of materials or devices, is of high interest for studying electrically active defects in SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), but requires dedicated instrumentation that is not widely available. Integration of microwave sources and detection circuits has led to the design of very compact EPR instruments, the so-called EPR-on-a-chip (EPRoC), which also offers opportunities for EDMR-on-a-chip (EDMRoC). Here, we report the demonstration of EDMRoC on lateral SiC MOSFETs under charge pumping (CP) conditions. The detected CP current gives direct access to microscopic information about the recombination centers within the transistor gate inversion region under the gate dielectric. Efficient and selective microwave excitation of the region of interest of the device can be obtained by only modest modifications to both the MOSFET and the EPRoC electronic board. A comparative study between EDMRoC and a traditional resonant cavity configuration reveals comparable signal-to-noise ratios for CP-detected EDMR spectra. In addition to space- and cost-efficiency, EDMRoC offers alternative detection modes with scanning and modulation of the microwave frequency, as well as potentially easier sample mounting and exchange. We end with a discussion of the advantages, limitations, and perspectives of the EDMRoC setup compared to EDMR in a conventional EPR spectrometer, offering promise for widespread integration of EDMR in semiconductor laboratories.