Controlled Spalling of 4H Silicon Carbide Films for Power Electronics and Quantum Information Science

ORAL

Abstract

4H silicon carbide (SiC) holds significant potential for advancing the industries of power electronics and quantum information science. This presentation will detail several scientific and engineering innovations enabling the controlled spalling of 10 – 50 micron thick SiC films from progressively larger bare dies which currently exceed 1 inch square. The significance of controlled spalling of SiC films lies in:

1. Substrate Reuse: This technique allows the detachment of SiC layers from bulk substrates, such that the bulk substrates have been repolished and re-spalled, which can be valuable for cost-efficient commercial applications.

2. Heterogeneous Integration: Spalled SiC films are effectively integrated with other materials or devices, via polymer adhesives or metal bonding.

Notably, SiC is the highest fracture toughness material which has been spalled, approximately a factor of 3 times tougher than gallium nitride [1]. Because high fracture toughness refractory materials are not compatible with most layer transfer techniques, this is an exciting development which can evoke spalling of other ultra-hard crystals.

[1] S. W. Bedell et al., J. Appl. Phys., vol. 122, no. 2, p. 025103, Jul. 2017.

* S.G. acknowledges support from the Vannevar Bush Fellowship under the program sponsored by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and in part by the Office of Naval Research as the Executive Manager for the grant.

Presenters

  • Connor P Horn

    University of Chicago

Authors

  • Connor P Horn

    University of Chicago

  • Antoni Wellisz

    University of Chicago

  • Christina Wicker

    University of Chicago

  • Cyrus Zeledon

    University of Chicago

  • Pavani Vamsi Krishna Nittala

    University of Chicago

  • F. Joseph F Heremans

    Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne National Lab, Argonne, University of Chicago

  • David D Awschalom

    University of Chicago

  • Supratik Guha

    University of Chicago