Electron paramagnetic resonance was used to study a near-surface defect in oxidized 4H/6H-type substrates and 3C-type epitaxial layers. The defect was observed after wet oxidation and dry thermal treatment at 900C, but the defect was not located in the oxide. Heat treatment activated the electron paramagnetic resonance centre by removing a H-related species from a C bond. Oxidation studies suggested that the reaction of H2O, with the carbide, created the defect. An alternative possibility was that the defect was intrinsic.

Dangling Bond Defects in SiC - the Dependence on Oxidation Time P.J.Macfarlane, M.E.Zvanut: Microelectronic Engineering, 1999, 48[1-4], 269-72