Abstract
We report the response of newly designed 4H-SiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD) detector prototype to alpha and gamma radiation. We studied detectors of three different active area sizes (1 × 1, 2 × 2 and 3 × 3 mm2), while all detectors had the same 4H-SiC epi-layer thickness of approximately µm, sufficient to stop alpha particles up to 6.8 MeV, which have been used in this study. The detector response to the various alpha emitters in the 3.27 MeV to 8.79 MeV energy range clearly demonstrates the excellent linear response to alpha emissions of the detectors with the increasing active area. The detector response in gamma radiation field of Co-60 and Cs-137 sources showed a linear response to air kerma and to different air kerma rates as well, up to 4.49 Gy/h. The detector response is not in saturation for the dose rates lower than 15.3 mGy/min and that its measuring range for gamma radiation with energies of 662 keV, 1.17 MeV and 1.33 MeV is from 0.5 mGy/h–917 mGy/h. No changes to electrical properties of pristine and tested 4H-SiC SBD detectors, supported by a negligible change in carbon vacancy defect density and no creation of other deep levels, demonstrates the radiation hardness of these 4H-SiC detectors.
Highlights
Silicon carbide, a wide band-gap semiconductor with exceptional thermal and mechanical stability [1,2], is one of the most investigated materials for radiation particle detection
Charge collection efficiency (CCE) of our fully depleted 4H-SiC detectors for detection of alpha particles from the large area Am-241 source is up to 100%
As the counting efficiency is dependent on delivered air kerma
Summary
A wide band-gap semiconductor with exceptional thermal and mechanical stability [1,2], is one of the most investigated materials for radiation particle detection. The radiation detectors based on 4H-polytype SiC epitaxial layers are mostly used as a charged particle [10,11] and neutron detectors [12]. Several authors reported on gamma and beta particle response of the SiC-based detectors, and were able to directly detect and distinguish different radiation types [10,13,14,15]. 4H-SiC detectors, it is necessary to understand the behavior of bare detectors in various in various radiation fields, other than the neutron one.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
