Low-Temperature Annealing of Electron, Neutron, and Proton Irradiation Effects on SiC Radiation Detectors

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide bandgap semiconductor with outstanding properties that make it especially appropriate for radiation monitoring in radiation harsh environments and for elevated temperature operation. In this work, radiation effects in electron-, neutron-, and proton-irradiated 4H-SiC p-n junction diodes are investigated by means of electrical characterization, including current–voltage characteristics measured at different temperatures ranging from −50 °C to +200°C. Moreover, the stability of the radiation-induced effects is evaluated through a series of low-temperature treatments (up to 400 °C). Interestingly for applications, partial recovery of diode rectification functionality is observed for electron-irradiated devices. Furthermore, partial recuperation of detectors’ charge collection efficiency (CCE) is registered on either electron-, neutron-, or proton-irradiated devices. Remarkably, it is observed that the limited conduction registered for highly irradiated SiC detectors allows their operation in forward bias conditions. In fact, while providing some lower CCE, they show better energy resolution than in conventional reverse bias operation. Advantages of using SiC devices in alpha particle detection in harsh environments, as well as simplification of current Si experiments, can be envisaged.