SiC Electrical Contact Cleaning After Heat-Treatment Carbon Residue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing techniques for silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor components are complex, costly, and time-consuming due to the difficulty in producing robust electrical contact connections, which can be impaired by carbon residues formed during heat treatment.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the deposition of a first metal layer on an SiC substrate, followed by heat treatment to create a carbon residue, and subsequent chemical cleaning to remove the residue, followed by the deposition of a second metal layer to form a reliable electrical contact connection, using techniques like sputtering deposition and chemical etching with oxygen plasma or hydrofluoric acid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If heat treatment is performed on the first metal layer to form an electrical contact, then adhesion and mechanical properties are improved, but carbon residue is generated that impairs contact quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies oxygen plasma treatment to convert the harmful carbon residue into carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gases that can be removed. The oxygen reacts with the carbon residue formed during heat treatment, transforming the harmful byproduct into removable gaseous products, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving good adhesion through heat treatment and eliminating carbon residue that impairs contact quality.
2Reliability
If complex process steps are used to remove carbon residue, then contact quality is improved, but production time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or chemical cleaning processes with oxygen plasma treatment. The plasma process uses ionized oxygen to chemically react with and remove carbon residue in a single step, eliminating the need for multiple sequential cleaning operations. This substitution significantly reduces production time while maintaining high contact quality through effective carbon residue removal.
3Reliability
If multiple metal layers are deposited with intermediate cleaning steps, then electrical contact reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cleaning function into the plasma treatment step that is already part of the metal layer deposition process. By combining carbon residue removal with the deposition chamber environment and using plasma as both a cleaning and preparation mechanism, the patent eliminates separate cleaning equipment and process steps, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining electrical contact reliability through thorough carbon residue removal between layers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process enables the production of high-quality electrical contacts with improved mechanical properties, adhesion, and conductivity, reducing production time and costs by avoiding the need for physical cleaning processes and minimizing carbon residue, thus enhancing the reliability of the contact connection.
Implementation Method 1
heat-treating of the first metal layer, which gives rise to a carbon residue
Implementation Method 2
performing of a chemical cleaning process to remove at least some of the carbon residue for cleaning of the first metal layer
Implementation Method 3
A chip comprises a silicon carbide substrate and a sputtered first metal layer on the silicon carbide substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing an electrical contact with a first metal layer and at least one second metal layer on a silicon carbide substrate includes removing at least some of the carbon residue by a cleaning process, to clean the first metal layer. The first metal layer and/or the at least one second metal layer may be generated by sputtering deposition.