Results obtained in a study of spectrometric characteristics of arrays of four detectors based on 4H-SiC ion-implantation-doped p+-n junctions in the temperature range 25–140 °C are reported for the first time. The junctions were fabricated by ion implantation of aluminum into epitaxial 4H-SiC layers of thickness ≤45 μm, grown by chemical vapor deposition with uncompensated donor concentration Nd − Na = (4–6) × 1014 cm−3. The structural features of the ion-implantation-doped p+-layers were studied by secondary-ion mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy in the channeling mode. Parameters of the diode arrays were determined by testing in air with natural-decay alpha particles with an energy of 3.76 MeV. The previously obtained data for similar single detectors were experimentally confirmed: the basic characteristics of the detector arrays, the charge collection efficiency and energy resolution, are improved as the working temperature increases.

Results of spectrometric studies of nuclear radiation detectors based on p +-n junctions formed in 4H-SiC films are presented for the first time. The junctions were fabricated by ion implantation of aluminum into 26-μm-thick CVD-grown epitaxial 4H-SiC layers with an uncompensated donor concentration of (3–5) × 1015 cm−3. The detector characteristics were measured in testing with natural-decay alpha particles with energies of 3.35 and 5.4 MeV. The collection efficiency of charge generated by 3.35 MeV alpha particles was as high as 100% at an energy resolution of ≲ 2%.

The emission of atomic and complex nitrogen ions, which are the main impurity determining the n type conduction of silicon carbide, is investigated. It is shown that, among all the secondary ions of the C x N and Si x N kind (x = 0, 1, 2, 3), the 26(CN)– fragment exhibits the highest ion yield. The use of an ion peak with a specified mass as an analytical signal provides a detection limit for nitrogen in SiC at a level of 1016 cm–3. This result is attained in measurements at high mass resolution (M/ΔM = 7500, interference peak 26(13C2)–).

The photoelectric properties of p+-n junctions that were based on 4H-SiC ion-implanted with aluminum and were formed in lightly doped n-type epitaxial layers grown by chemical vapor deposition were studied. It is shown that such photodetectors combine in full measure the advantages of photostructures formed on the basis of Schottky barriers and epitaxial p-n junctions. The results of the theoretical calculation of spectral characteristics of ion-implanted photodetectors are in good agreement with experimental data. The structures feature an efficiency of collection of nonequilibrium charge carriers close to 100% in the spectral range of the photon energies of 3.5–4.25 eV.

The results of studying 4 H -SiC p + - n junctions ion-implanted with aluminum as detectors of high-energy particles are reported. The junctions were formed in SiC epitaxial films grown by chemical vapor deposition. The concentration of uncompensated donors was (3–5)×10 15 cm −3 , and the charge-carrier diffusion length was L p =2.5 µm. The detectors were irradiated with 4.8–5.5-MeV alpha particles at 20°C. The efficiency of collection of the induced charge was as high as 0.35. The possibilities of operating SiC detectors at elevated temperatures (∼500°C) are analyzed.