Exploring the Relation Between SEEs Caused by Heavy-Ion Irradiation and Defects in SiC Devices

Heavy-ion irradiation with different linear energy transfers (LETs) and ion penetration ranges were used to investigate the radiation tolerance of SiC power diodes. Single event leakage current (SELC) degradation was observed for ion ranges shorter than the epitaxial layer thickness. To elucidate the root cause of the observed radiation effects, deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and minority carrier transient spectroscopy (MCTS) were performed. Both, the ratio between the boron peak contributions and their capture cross-section as measured directly, exhibit a change in value after heavy-ion irradiation.