Measurements and simulations of charge collection efficiency of p+/n junction SiC detectors

Due to its excellent electrical and physical properties, silicon carbide can represent a good alternative to Si in applications like the inner tracking detectors of particle physics experiments (RD50, LHCC 2002–2003, 15 February 2002, CERN, Ginevra). In this work p+/n SiC diodes realised on a medium-doped (1×1015 cm−3), 40 μm thick epitaxial layer are exploited as detectors and measurements of their charge collection properties under β particle radiation from a 90Sr source are presented. Preliminary results up to 900 V reverse bias voltage show a good collection efficiency of 1700e− and a collection length (ratio between collected charge and generated e–h pairs/μm) equal to the estimated width of the depleted region. Preliminary simulations on Schottky diodes have been carried out using the ISE-TCAD DESSIS simulation tool. Experimental results were reproduced well.