Initiation of Shockley Stacking Fault Expansion in 4H-SiC P-i-N Diodes

To understand the effects of temperature and injection current density on expansion of Shockley stacking faults (SSFs) from basal-plane dislocations in 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes, the threshold current density for SSF expansion was investigated at eight temperatures by electroluminescence image observation. The threshold injection current density was found to decrease at lower temperatures and to increase at higher temperatures. We identified the origin of this temperature dependence and found that the limiting factor for expansion differed depending on the temperature.