A spin-dependent recombination spectrum observed in a wide range of SiC metal oxide semiconducting field effect transistors has previously been only tentatively linked to a silicon vacancy or vacancy related defect. By resolving hyperfine interactions in spin-dependent recombination detected spectra with 13C nuclei, a very strong argument was provided which associated the spin-dependent recombination spectrum with a silicon vacancy. Since the silicon vacancy spectrum dominates the SDR response in a wide variety of SiC MOSFETs, silicon vacancies were quite important traps in this technology.

Identification of a Silicon Vacancy as an Important Defect in 4H SiC Metal Oxide Semiconducting Field Effect Transistor using Spin Dependent Recombination. C.J.Cochrane, P.M.Lenahan, A.J.Lelis: Applied Physics Letters, 2012, 100[2], 023509