Papers by Author: Björn Magnusson

Abstract: The photoluminescence (PL) of the UD-4 defect is observed in semi-insulating bulk 4H, 6H and 15R SiC. In 4H and 6H SiC the UD-4 defect consists of two families of no-phonon (NP) lines, Ua and Ub, and in 15R SiC it consists of three families, Ua, Ub and U15R. The Ua family in 4H, 6H and 15R all show similar temperature behavior with higher energy NP lines becomming observable at higher temperatures. In the case of the Ub and U15R families, a luminescence line with lower energy than the prominent luminescence line appears at higher temperatures. The polarization and Zeeman measurements suggest that the defect has C3v symmetry.

Abstract: High-purity, semi-insulating 6H-SiC substrates grown by high-temperature chemical vapor deposition were studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The carbon vacancy (VC), the carbon vacancy-antisite pair (VCCSi) and the divacancy (VCVSi) were found to be prominent defects. The (+|0) level of VC in 6H-SiC is estimated by photoexcitation EPR (photo-EPR) to be at ~ 1.47 eV above the valence band. The thermal activation energies as determined from the temperature dependence of the resistivity, Ea~0.6-0.7 eV and ~1.0-1.2 eV, were observed for two sets of samples and were suggested to be related to acceptor levels of VC, VCCSi and VCVSi. The annealing behavior of the intrinsic defects and the stability of the SI properties were studied up to 1600°C.

Abstract: Vacancies, divacancies and carbon vacancy-carbon antisite pairs are found by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to be dominant defects in high-purity semi-insulating (HPSI) 4HSiC substrates having different thermal activation energies of the resistivity ranging from ~0.8 eV to ~1.6 eV. Based on EPR results and previously reported data, the energy positions of several acceptor states of the vacancies and vacancy-related complexes are estimated. These deep levels are suggested to be associated to different thermal activation energies and responsible for the semiinsulating behaviour in HPSI SiC substrates. Their role in carrier compensation is discussed.

Abstract: The influence of different cooling rates on deep levels in 4H-SiC after high temperature annealing has been investigated. The samples were heated from room temperature to 2300°C, followed by a 20 minutes anneal at this temperature. Different subsequent cooling sequences down to 1100°C were used. The samples have been investigated using photoluminescence (PL) and IV characteristics. The PL intensities of the silicon vacancy (VSi) and UD-2, were found to increase with a faster cooling rate.

Abstract: Positron annihilation radiation Doppler broadening spectroscopy was used to study defects in semi-insulating (SI) silicon carbide (SiC) substrates grown by high-temperature chemical vapour deposition (HTCVD). The Doppler broadening measurements show (i) that the measured samples contain vacancy clusters (ii) that the positron trapping to the clusters is increased in annealing (iii) that the chemical environment of the defects in the un-annealed samples is different from those of the annealed samples.

Abstract: Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of the P6/P7 centers in 4H- and 6H-SiC are reported. The obtained principal values of the hyperfine tensors of C and Si neighbors are in good agreement with the values of the neutral divacancy (VCVSi 0) calculated by ab initio supercell calculations. The results suggest that the P6/P7 centers, which were previously assigned to the photo-excited triplet states of the carbon vacancy-carbon antisite pairs in the double positive charge state (VCCSi 2+), are related to the triplet ground states of the C3v/C1h configurations of VCVSi 0.

Abstract: A detailed investigation of the optical and electronic properties of the deep-level defect UD-4 is reported. This defect has recently been observed in 4H semi-insulating silicon carbide, but has hardly been studied yet. Both low temperature and temperature-dependent photoluminescence were collected from the defect. Zeeman spectroscopy measurements were performed as well as time-resolved photoluminescence.

Abstract: Semi-insulating SiC grown by the HTCVD technique are studied by luminescence and absorption measurements and the results are compared to PAS and SIMS results. We have found that metal impurities are present but only in very small concentrations. The semi-insulating properties are instead determined by the intrinsic defects, mostly the silicon vacancy in hydrocarbon rich grown material and the carbon vacancy in the hydrocarbon poor grown material. The hydrocarbon poor material is stable upon annealing both from a vacancy concentration point of view and from a resistivity point of view. The hydrocarbon rich grown material does not stand the annealing at 1600 °C and the resistivity is decreased; from the absorption and PAS measurements we have observed that the decrease in silicon vacancy concentration fits the growth of the vacancy clusters.

Abstract: Positron lifetime spectroscopy was used to study defects in semi-insulating (SI) silicon carbide (SiC) substrates grown by high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD). The measured positron lifetime spectra can be decomposed into two components, of which the longer corresponds to vacancy clusters. We have carried out atomic superposition calculations to estimate the size of these clusters.

Abstract: We applied four-wave mixing (FWM) technique for investigation of high temperaturechemical vapour deposition (HTCVD) grown 4H-SiC samples with different doping levels. The determined minority electron and hole mobilities in heavily doped crystals at doping densities of 1019 cm-3 were found to be equal to 116 and 52 cm2/Vs. In semi-insulating (SI) crystals, the ambipolar diffusion coefficient Da = 2.6 − 3.3 cm2/s and carrier lifetimes of 1.5 – 2.5 ns have been measured. Irradiation of SI crystals by 6 MeV electrons resulted in essential decrease of carrier lifetime down to ~ 100 ps and clearly revealed the defect-assisted carrier generation with respect to two-photon interband transitions before irradiation.