Using a carbon vacancy reduction material to increase average carrier lifetime in a silicon carbide semiconductor device

A semiconductor die comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a silicon carbide epitaxial structure on the substrate comprising:
• at least three layers, wherein at least one of the at least three layers is a P-type silicon carbide layer and another of the at least three layers is an N-type silicon carbide layer;
• an intrinsic silicon carbide layer between the P-type silicon carbide layer and the N-type silicon carbide layer;
• and
• carbon vacancy reduction material, which has been implanted into a surface of the silicon carbide epitaxial structure, wherein the silicon carbide epitaxial structure has been annealed to mobilize the carbon vacancy reduction material to diffuse carbon atoms substantially throughout the silicon carbide epitaxial structure, thereby increasing an average carrier lifetime in the silicon carbide epitaxial structure.

A method comprising:

• providing a substrate;
• forming a silicon carbide epitaxial structure on the substrate, the silicon carbide epitaxial structure having at least three layers, wherein at least one of the three layers is an N-type silicon carbide layer and another of the three layers is a P-type silicon carbide layer;
• forming an intrinsic silicon carbide layer between the P-type silicon carbide layer and the N-type silicon carbide layer ;
• ion implanting a carbon vacancy reduction material into a surface of the silicon carbide epitaxial structure;
• and
• annealing the silicon carbide epitaxial structure to mobilize the carbon vacancy reduction material to diffuse carbon atoms substantially throughout the silicon carbide epitaxial structure, thereby increasing an average carrier lifetime in the silicon carbide epitaxial structure.

A semiconductor die comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a silicon carbide epitaxial structure on the substrate comprising:
• at least three layers, wherein at least one of the three layers is a N-type silicon carbide layer and another of the three layers is a P-type silicon carbide layer;
• an intrinsic silicon carbide layer between the P-type silicon carbide layer and the N-type silicon carbide layer;
• and
• carbon vacancy reduction material, which has been implanted into a surface of the silicon carbide epitaxial structure, wherein the silicon carbide epitaxial structure has been annealed to mobilize the carbon vacancy reduction material to diffuse carbon atoms substantially throughout the silicon carbide epitaxial structure, thereby increasing an average carrier lifetime in the silicon carbide epitaxial structure.