Effect of hydrogen on the electrical characteristics of structural elements of the Pt/WO$_x$/6H-SiC

The formation conditions of the Pt/WO$_x$/SiC thin-film system on a silicon carbide (6H-SiC) single crystal are optimized. The prepared system possesses stable characteristics and makes it possible to effectively record hydrogen at low concentrations in air at a temperature of $\sim$ 350$^\circ$C, as well as to hold hydrogen in the WO$_x$ lattice at room temperature for a long time. The voltage shift of reverse portions of the current–voltage characteristics at a hydrogen concentration of $\sim$ 0.2% reach 6.5 V at a current of 0.4 $\mu$A because of large series resistance, which is defined by space-charge regions in WO$_x$ and SiC. Structural-phase investigations of the oxide layer are performed under various effect modes of the hydrogen-containing medium on the Pt/WO$_x$/SiC system. A correlation in the variations of its electrical properties (ability to accumulate charge and vary the resistivity) and structural state of the oxide layer is revealed. An explanation for the variation in the current transport through the Pt/WO$_x$/SiC and its contact regions (barrier layers) under the effect of hydrogen is proposed.