Monte Carlo simulation of vertical MESFETs in 2H, 4H and 6H-SiC

The 4H-SiC static induction transistor (SIT) is a very competitive device for high frequency and high power applications (3-6 GHz range). The large breakdown voltage and the high thermal conductivity of 4H-SiC allow transistors with extremely high current density at high voltages. The SIT transistor shows better output power capabilities but the unity current-gain frequency is lower compared to a MESFET device. In this work we show, using a very accurate numerical model, that a compromise between the features given by the SIT structure and the ordinary MESFET structure can be obtained using the vertical MESFET structure. The device dimension has been selected very aggressively to demonstrate the performance of an optimized technology. We also present results from drift-diffusion simulations of devices, using transport parameters obtained from the Monte Carlo simulation. The simulations indicate that 2H-SiC is superior to both 4H and 6H-SiC for vertical devices. For lateral devices, 2H-SiC is slightly faster compared to an identical 4H-SiC device. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.