Deep level point defects in semi-insulating SiC

The high resistivity of SiC required for many device applications is achieved by compensating residual donors or acceptors with vanadium or intrinsic defects. This work addresses the defect levels of substitutional vanadium and the positively charged carbon vacancy (V-C(+)) in semi-insulating (SI) SiC. After reviewing the earlier studies related to both defects, the paper focuses on temperature-dependent Hall measurements and photo-induced electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments of 4H and 6H SI SiC. In vanadium-doped samples, a V3+/4+ level near E-c-1.1 eV (4H) and E-c-0.85 eV (6H) is estimated by a comparison of dark EPR spectra and the activation energy determined from the Hall data, assuming that vanadium controls the Fermi level. In high purity semi-insulating substrates, analysis of time-dependent and steady-state photo-EPR data suggests that the plus-to-neutral transition of the carbon vacancy involves a structural relaxation of about 0.6 eV.