Long range lateral migration of intrinsic point defects in n-type 4H-SiC

The lateral distributions of intrinsic point defects in n-type (0001) 4H-SiC have been investigated following room temperature irradiation with a focused beam of 10 keV protons. Laterally resolved deep level transient spectroscopy measurements reveal that the well-known and prominent Z1/2 and S1/2 centers display lateral diffusion lenghts on the order of 1 mm with negligible (if any) motion parallel to the direction of the c-axis. The migration occurs only in the presence of excess charge carriers generated during the proton irradiation, and no further motion takes place even under subsequent optical excitation of high intensity. Assuming one-dimensional geometry, an effective defect diffusivity in excess of 10−6 cm2/s is deduced by numerical modelling of the experimental data, corresponding to an energy barrier for migration of ∼0.2 eV. Possible mechanisms for the rapid migration, invoking charge carrier recombination as a necessary condition, are discussed, and especially, an association with the glide ...

[1]  V. Markevich,et al.  The oxygen dimer in Si: Its relationship to the light-induced degradation of Si solar cells? , 2011 .

[2]  B. Svensson,et al.  A Laterally Resolved DLTS Study of Intrinsic Defect Diffusion in 4H-SiC after Low Energy Focused Proton Beam Irradiation , 2010 .

[3]  T. Kimoto,et al.  Elimination of the Major Deep Levels in n- and p-Type 4H-SiC by Two-Step Thermal Treatment , 2009 .

[4]  J. Hayes,et al.  Long-range migration of intrinsic defects during irradiation or implantation , 2009, Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal.

[5]  Tsunenobu Kimoto,et al.  Reduction of Deep Levels and Improvement of Carrier Lifetime in n-Type 4H-SiC by Thermal Oxidation , 2009 .

[6]  K. Hobart,et al.  Thermal Annealing and Propagation of Shockley Stacking Faults in 4H-SiC PiN Diodes , 2007 .

[7]  Hidekazu Tsuchida,et al.  Reduction of traps and improvement of carrier lifetime in 4H-SiC epilayers by ion implantation , 2007 .

[8]  T. Kimoto,et al.  Investigation of deep levels in n-type 4H-SiC epilayers irradiated with low-energy electrons , 2006 .

[9]  B. Svensson,et al.  Long Distance Point Defect Migration in Irradiated SiC Observed by Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy , 2006 .

[10]  M. Chandrashekhar,et al.  Measurement of the mean electron-hole pair ionization energy in 4H SiC , 2006 .

[11]  B. V. Shanabrook,et al.  Lifetime-limiting defects in n− 4H-SiC epilayers , 2006 .

[12]  A. Galeckas,et al.  Recombination-induced stacking faults: evidence for a general mechanism in hexagonal SiC. , 2006, Physical review letters.

[13]  K. Bothe,et al.  Electronically stimulated degradation of silicon solar cells , 2006 .

[14]  B. Svensson,et al.  Annealing behavior between room temperature and 2000 °C of deep level defects in electron-irradiated n-type 4H silicon carbide , 2005 .

[15]  D. Leith,et al.  Measurement of CP-violating asymmetries in B^0 --> K^0s pi^0 decays. , 2004 .

[16]  A. Hallén,et al.  Electrically active defects in irradiated 4H-SiC , 2004 .

[17]  H. Matsunami,et al.  Effects of C/Si Ratio in Chemical Vapor Deposition of 4H-SiC(1120) and (0338) , 2003 .

[18]  L. Pintilie,et al.  Formation of the Z1,2 deep-level defects in 4H-SiC epitaxial layers: Evidence for nitrogen participation , 2002 .

[19]  J. Steeds,et al.  Transmission electron microscope radiation damage of 4H and 6H SiC studied by photoluminescence spectroscopy , 2002 .

[20]  Jan Linnros,et al.  Recombination-enhanced extension of stacking faults in 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes under forward bias , 2002 .

[21]  S. Öberg,et al.  Alphabet luminescence lines in 4H-SiC , 2002 .

[22]  H. Matsunami,et al.  High-purity and high-quality 4H-SiC grown at high speed by chimney-type vertical hot-wall chemical vapor deposition , 2002 .

[23]  A. Hallén,et al.  Annealing kinetics of vacancy-related defects in low-dose MeV self-ion-implanted n-type silicon , 2001 .

[24]  H. Matsunami,et al.  Reduction of doping and trap concentrations in 4H-SiC epitaxial layers grown by chemical vapor deposition , 2001 .

[25]  H. Lendenmann,et al.  Crystal Defects as Source of Anomalous Forward Voltage Increase of 4H-SiC Diodes , 2001 .

[26]  H. Lendenmann,et al.  Long Term Operation of 4.5kV PiN and 2.5kV JBS Diodes , 2001 .

[27]  A. Ellison,et al.  NEGATIVE-U CENTERS IN 4H SILICON CARBIDE , 1998 .

[28]  P. Pellegrino,et al.  Electrically active point defects in n-type 4H–SiC , 1998 .

[29]  A. A. Istratov.  New correlation procedure for the improvement of resolution of deep level transient spectroscopy of semiconductors , 1997 .

[30]  W. J. Choyke,et al.  Radiation-induced defect centers in 4H silicon carbide , 1997 .

[31]  J. Bergman,et al.  Deep level defects in electron-irradiated 4H SiC epitaxial layers , 1997 .

[32]  A. Hallén,et al.  GENERATION OF VACANCY-TYPE POINT DEFECTS IN SINGLE COLLISION CASCADES DURING SWIFT-ION BOMBARDMENT OF SILICON , 1997 .

[33]  G. D. Watkins.  Intrinsic defects in II–VI semiconductors , 1996 .

[34]  Corbett,et al.  Divacancy acceptor levels in ion-irradiated silicon. , 1991, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[35]  B. Svensson,et al.  Overlapping electron traps in n‐type silicon studied by capacitance transient spectroscopy , 1989 .

[36]  B. Fitzpatrick,et al.  Electron‐beam‐induced dislocation climb in ZnSe , 1978 .

[37]  J. Bourgoin,et al.  A new mechanism for interstistitial migration , 1972 .

[38]  T. Kimoto,et al.  Major deep levels with the same microstructures observed in n-type 4H–SiC and 6H–SiC , 2011 .