Structure and characteristics of the high-temperature SiC detectors based on Al ion-implanted p⁺–n junctions

Abstract

Al ion implantation of chemical-vapor deposition (CVD)-grown n-type films has been used to fabricate p+–n junctions for nuclear particle detectors. The junction formation mode is characterized by a high dose of Al ions and a short-duration (15 s) activating annealing. Specific structural features of the implanted p+–n junctions, revealed using modern analytical techniques, are accounted for by the joint action of the high-dose Al ion implantation and unconventional rapid thermal annealing mode. The detector characteristics were studied up to a temperature of 375 °C under irradiation with 3–8 MeV alpha particles in a vacuum chamber of special design. An improvement of the energy resolution and nonequilibrium charge collection efficiency was observed with increasing temperature. The results obtained are explained in terms of specific structural features of the p+–n junctions formed in the chosen implantation and thermal annealing modes. The behavior of the detector noise level was analyzed with the working temperature raised up to 375 °C.