Reduction in Majority-Carrier Concentration in Lightly-Doped 4H-SiC Epilayers by Electron Irradiation

Abstract

The mechanisms for the reduction in the hole concentration in lightly Al-doped p-type 4H-SiC epilayers by electron irradiation as well as in the electron concentration in lightly N-doped n-type 4H-SiC epilayers by electron irradiation are investigated. In the p-type 4H-SiC epilayers, the temperature dependence of the hole concentration, , is not changed by 100 keV electron irradiation, while the is decreased by 150 keV electron irradiation. The density of Al acceptors with energy level eV decreases with increasing fluence of 150 keV electrons, whereas the density of deep acceptors with energy level eV increases. In the n-type 4H-SiC epilayers, the temperature dependence of the electron concentration, , is decreased by 200 keV electron irradiation. The density of N donors located at hexagonal C-sublattice sites decreases significantly with increasing fluence of 200 keV electrons, whereas the density of N donors located at cubic C-sublattice site decreases slightly.