Low-Temperature Characterization of Sheet and Contact Resistance in 4H-SiC Test Structures from 300 K to 4 K
Hobbacher E, Magerl F, Pixius C, Förthner J, May A, Rommel M, Schulze J (2026)
Publication Type: Conference contribution
Publication year: 2026
Original Authors: E. Hobbacher, F. J. Magerl, C. Pixius, J. Förthner, A. May, M. Rommel, J. Schulze
Pages Range: 1724-1729
Event location: Opatija
DOI: 10.1109/MIPRO70003.2026.11591590
Abstract
In harsh or cryogenic environments, the electrical behaviour of highly doped regions in 4H-SiC plays a key role in the performance of SiC-based electronic devices, yet remains insufficiently understood. This work investigates the temperature dependence of sheet resistance (Rsh) and specific contact resistivity (ρc) in highly doped n+ and p+ regions of a 4H-SiC CMOS technology. Electrical measurements are performed on Transmission Line Method (TLM) structures, Van der Pauw (VdP) geometries, meander resistors and contact chains in the temperature range from 300 K down to 4 K. In n+ regions, linear current-voltage characteristics are maintained over the full temperature range, enabling extraction of Rsh and ρc down to 4 K, with both parameters increasing moderately with temperature decreasing. In p+ regions, Rsh and ρc increase sharply with decreasing temperature, restricting extraction to minimum temperatures between 70 K and 140 K depending on the test structure. Below this range, incomplete dopant ionization and degraded ohmic contact behaviour result in non-linear characteristics. VdP structures provide stable determination of Rsh for both doping types. For ρc extraction, contact chains enable valid extraction down to the lowest temperatures in n+ regions, whereas in p+ regions TLM structures provide consistent values within the accessible temperature range. The observed trends are supported by calculations using temperature-dependent carrier statistics and mobility.
Authors with CRIS profile
Fabian Magerl
Lehrstuhl für Elektronische Bauelemente
Julietta Förthner
Lehrstuhl für Elektronische Bauelemente
Jörg Schulze
Lehrstuhl für Elektronische Bauelemente
Additional Organisation(s)
Involved external institutions
Germany (DE)How to cite
APA:
Hobbacher, E., Magerl, F., Pixius, C., Förthner, J., May, A., Rommel, M., & Schulze, J. (2026). Low-Temperature Characterization of Sheet and Contact Resistance in 4H-SiC Test Structures from 300 K to 4 K. In Proceedings of the 2026 49th MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention (MIPRO) (pp. 1724-1729). Opatija, HR.
MLA:
Hobbacher, E., et al. "Low-Temperature Characterization of Sheet and Contact Resistance in 4H-SiC Test Structures from 300 K to 4 K." Proceedings of the 2026 49th MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention (MIPRO), Opatija 2026. 1724-1729.
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