Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Studies of Nb in 6H-SiC

Abstract

Defects in unintentionally Nb-doped 6H-SiC grown by high-temperature chemical vapor deposition were studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). An EPR spectrum with a hyperfine (hf) structure consisting of ten equal-intensity lines was observed. The hf structure is identified to be due to the hf interaction between an electron spin S=1/2 and a nuclear spin of 93Nb. The hf interaction due to the interaction three nearest Si neighbors was also observed, suggesting the involvement of the C vacancy (VC) in the defect. Only one EPR spectrum was observed in 6H-SiC polytype. The obtained spin-Hamiltonian parameters are similar to that of the Nb-related EPR defect in 4H-SiC, suggesting that the EPR center in 6H-SiC is the NbSiVC complex in the neutral charge state, NbSiVC0. Photoexcitation EPR experiments suggest that the single negative charge state of the NbSiVC complex is located at ~1.3 eV below the conduction band minimum.