Optoelectronic characterization of 4H-SiC avalanche photodiodes operated in DC and in geiger mode

Silicon carbide has attracted a lot interest in the power electronics arena due to its advantageous properties over other semiconductor materials; it has high thermal conductivity, a wide bandgap, and a high breakdown electric field, all of which are properties that make it suitable for high voltage and high current density devices capable of operating in extremely harsh environments. Another noted advantage of SiC is its capability to transduce photons in the ultraviolet band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Due to the large energy gap, SiC p-n junctions exhibit high UV responsivity and negligible response beyond 400 nm. This makes SiC ideal for solar-blind UV imaging, and as a result there has been significant efforts towards optimizing the performance of SiC avalanche photodiodes (APDs).