The Fabrication and Characterization of Ni/4H-SiC Schottky Diode Radiation Detectors with a Sensitive Area of up to 4 cm²

Sensors (Basel). 2017 Oct 13;17(10):2334. doi: 10.3390/s17102334.

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) detectors of an Ni/4H-SiC Schottky diode structure and with sensitive areas of 1-4 cm² were fabricated using high-quality lightly doped epitaxial 4H-SiC material, and were tested in the detection of alpha particles and pulsed X-rays/UV-light. A linear energy response to alpha particles ranging from 5.157 to 5.805 MeV was obtained. The detectors were proved to have a low dark current, a good energy resolution, and a high neutron/gamma discrimination for pulsed radiation, showing the advantages in charged particle detection and neutron detection in high-temperature and high-radiation environments.

Keywords: 4H-SiC; Schottky diode; large sensitive area; radiation detection.