Hall Effect Characterization of α‐Irradiated p‐Type 4H‐SiC

Most electrical characterization of radiation damage to semiconductors is conducted on full devices or on low‐doped material. However, evaluating the radiation hardness is challenging in less mature semiconductor systems where low‐doped material is unavailable and full devices are difficult to realize. Herein, temperature‐dependent Hall effect measurements are used to demonstrate α particle‐induced radiation effects in p‐type 4H‐SiC with a room temperature hole concentration of 1.8×1017cm−3. The 4H‐SiC is irradiated by α particles from a 210Po source over a fluence of 1×1011–1×1013α cm−2. Modeling the hole concentration as a function of temperature shows that α radiation causes hole compensation through the introduction of hole traps. The radiation also induces a reduction in hole mobility due to an increase in defect‐related scattering centers. At low temperatures and increasingly higher fluences, the conduction mechanism changes from band conduction to another mechanism. p‐type 4H‐SiC is irradiated by α particles from a 210Po sealed source over a fluence of 1 × 1011–1 × 1013 α cm−2. Modeling hole concentration as a function of temperature shows that the radiation causes hole compensation through the introduction of hole traps. The radiation also induces a reduction in hole mobility due to an increase in defect‐related scattering centers.