High-resolution 4H-SiC Schottky barrier radiation detectors on 250 micron epitaxial layers for harsh environment applications

Joshua W. Kleppinger; Omerfaruk Karadavut; Ritwik Nag; Sandeep K. Chaudhuri; Krishna C. Mandal

doi:10.1117/12.2596470

1 September 2021 High-resolution 4H-SiC Schottky barrier radiation detectors on 250 μm epitaxial layers for harsh environment applications

Joshua W. Kleppinger, Omerfaruk Karadavut, Ritwik Nag, Sandeep K. Chaudhuri, Krishna C. Mandal

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11838, Hard X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Detector Physics XXIII; 1183816 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2596470
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2021, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Thick 4H-SiC epitaxial layers are essential for high-resolution detection of x- and gamma-rays in harsh environment. In this work, we have fabricated high-resolution Ni/n-4H-SiC Schottky barrier radiation detectors on 250 μm epitaxial layers, the highest thickness ever reported. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements showed a low-carrier concentration of ≈2 × 10¹⁴ cm^-3 which based on simulations of the electric field allow the detectors to be fully depleted without break down. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics displayed low leakage currents of < 1 nA up to − 800 V. To predict how the leakage current will grow at the large biases needed to fully deplete the detectors (at ~ 10 kV), the barrier lowering was evaluated from the detectors’ ln J/E_m vs. E1/2_m plots. Several detectors displayed scaling factors ≈ 2 or greater suggesting that leakage current should remain low even at extreme bias. Pulse height spectrometry using 5486 keV alpha particles showed a resolution of < 0.5 % full width half maximum (FWHM). From the charge collection efficiency vs. applied bias characteristics, the minority carrier diffusion length was found to be >10 μm. Both the long minority carrier diffusion length and high resolution were correlated to the low concentration of lifetime killing defects Z_1/2 and EH_6/7 (both associated with different charge states of carbon vacancy) found in the detector’s DLTS spectra

Conference Presentation

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Joshua W. Kleppinger, Omerfaruk Karadavut, Ritwik Nag, Sandeep K. Chaudhuri, and Krishna C. Mandal "High-resolution 4H-SiC Schottky barrier radiation detectors on 250 μm epitaxial layers for harsh environment applications", Proc. SPIE 11838, Hard X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Detector Physics XXIII, 1183816 (1 September 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2596470

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