Processing and Characterization of Thousand-Hour 500 °C Durable 4H-SiC JFET Integrated Circuits

Abstract This work reports fabrication and testing of integrated circuits (ICs) with two levels of interconnect that consistently achieve greater than 1000 hours of stable electrical operation at 500 °C in air ambient. These ICs are based on 4H-SiC junction field effect transistor (JFET) technology that integrates hafnium ohmic contacts with TaSi2 interconnects and SiO2 and Si3N4 dielectric layers over ~ 1-μm scale vertical topology. Following initial burn-in, important circuit parameters remain stable for more than 1000 hours of 500 °C operational testing. These results advance the technology foundation for realizing long-term durable 500 °C ICs with increased functional capability for sensing and control combustion engine, planetary, deep-well drilling, and other harsh-environment applications.