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High-resolution radiation detection using Ni/SiO 2 /n-4H-SiC vertical metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0059151· OSTI ID:1850521
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering; Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States)
  2. Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering
+ Show Author Affiliations
In this article, we demonstrate the radiation detection performance of vertical metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors fabricated on 20 μm thick n-4H-SiC epitaxial layers with the highest energy resolution ever reported. The 100 nm SiO2 layer was achieved on the Si face of n-4H-SiC epilayers using dry oxidation in air. The Ni/SiO2/n-4H-SiC MOS detectors not only demonstrated an excellent energy resolution of 0.42% (ΔE/E 100) for 5.48 MeV alpha particles but also caused a lower enhancement in the electronic noise components of the spectrometer compared with that observed for the best high-resolution Schottky barrier detectors. The MOS detectors also exhibited a high charge collection efficiency (CCE) of 96% at the optimized operating bias despite the presence of the oxide layer. A drift-diffusion model applied to the CCE vs gate bias voltage data revealed a minority (hole) carrier diffusion length of 24 μm. Capacitance mode deep level transient spectroscopy (C-DLTS) scans in the temperature range 84–800 K were carried out to identify the resolution limiting electrically active defects. Interestingly, the C-DLTS spectra revealed both positive and negative peaks, indicating the simultaneous presence of electron (majority) and hole (minority) trap centers. It has been inferred that at the steady-state bias for the C-DLTS measurement, the MOS detector operates in the inversion mode at certain device temperatures, causing holes to populate the minority trap centers and, hence, manifests minority carrier peaks as well.
Research Organization:
UT-Battelle LLC/ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); University of South Carolina
Grant/Contract Number:
AC07-05ID14517; NE0008662
OSTI ID:
1850521
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 130; ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
MOS devices
Physics
Schottky barriers
alpha particles
amplifiers
deep level transient spectroscopy
electronic noise
epitaxy
ionization chambers
metal-oxide-semiconductor
stochastic processes