Annealing behavior of the carbon vacancy in electron-irradiated 4H-SiC

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used to study the annealing behavior of the positively charged carbon vacancy (EI5 center) in electron-irradiated 4H-SiC. At similar to1000degreesC the EPR signal of the defect starts decreasing gradually. Clear ligand hyperfine structure is still observed after annealing at 1350degreesC, while the central line can be detected after a 1600degreesC anneal. A similar annealing behavior was also observed for the EI6 center suggesting that this defect may be also the positively charged carbon vacancy but at the hexagonal lattice site. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.