Silicon Carbide Laboratory

    Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a group IV compound semiconductor that has more than 100 known polytypes.  The most common, or useful, of which are 3C, 6H, and 4H.  These polytypes of SiC are perfect  for high power applications due to a wide-bandgap, excellent thermal tolerance and thermal conductivity, as well as a high chemical and radiation tolerance.  SiC microelectronic devices are/will be suitable for applications beyond the scope of Silicon.  These applications include those that require high voltage blocking characteristics, high power density devices, and device applications for harsh environments such as aeronautics and space, inside high temperature engine blocks, and hybrid vehicles.  These devices are not widely used at present due to the difficulties associated with obtaining high quality bulk material, the elimination of crystal defects in epilayers, and device fabrication.  We hope to eliminate many of these problems in order to usher in an era of advanced wide-bandgap semiconductor devices in the 21st century.

    USC's Silicon Carbide Laboratory maintains an impressive technological infrastructure for Silicon Carbide Research.  The lab has in-house capabilities that stretch from bulk and epi growth to device fabrication and characterization.  The infrastructure is composed of both purchased commercial equipment as well as purpose built systems designed and built by researchers here at USC.  The lab has three operational bulk growth furnaces, two CVD reactors (one capable of HTCVD temperatures above 2000°C), a fully stocked clean room facility for device fabrication, and characterization capabilities including SEM (including electron beam induced current mode SEM), polarized light microscopy, Raman spectral analysis, and atomic force microscopy.  These capabilities ensure productive research without dependence on external sources for testing, substrates, etc.  Use the links in the navigation bar to take a tour of the lab and meet the researchers in order to learn more about our work and the capabilities of the lab.