Impact of Heavy-Ion Range on Single-Event Effects in Silicon Carbide Power Junction Barrier Schottky Diodes

Experimental heavy-ion responses of silicon carbide (SiC) junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes are presented. Measured data indicate that heavy ions having range less than the epitaxial thickness do not cause degradation or catastrophic failure, even with the device biased above the rated breakdown voltage. Measured data also indicate that when the heavy ions have range longer than the epitaxial layer thickness, the devices exhibit degradation as single-event leakage current (SELC), as well as catastrophic single-event burnout (SEB) at biases less than half of the rated breakdown voltage. Device failure was observed when irradiating with high-energy ions having long ranges, but not when irradiating with low-energy ions that stop in the epitaxial layer. Mechanisms of observed heavy-ion effects are examined with technology computer aided design (TCAD) device modeling.