Analysis of Single-Event Burnout in 4H-SiC Avalanche Photodiode

This paper presents the 2-D numerical simulation results of the heavy-ion-induced single-event leakage current (SELC) degradation and single-event burnout (SEB) in the silicon-carbide (SiC) avalanche photodiode (APD). The employed simulation physics models and material parameters are validated by the reverse I-V characteristics and spectral response characteristics in experiments. The region most sensitive to heavy ion is identified. Then, the SEB failure behavior of SiC APD is investigated. Based on the analysis of ion-induced SELC degradation or SEB failure, three hardening methods–modifying the mesa etch depth, introducing Low Carrier Lifetime Control (LCLC) region, and inserting buffer layer–are investigated. As a result, the effects of three hardening methods on the electrical properties and SEB performance for SiC APD are compared.