Current-voltage characteristics of neutron irradiated nanocrystalline silicon carbide (3C-SiC)

At the present work, nanocrystalline silicon carbide (3C-SiC) irradiated by neutrons (2 x 10(13) n/cm(2)s) up to 20 h. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the nanocrystalline 3C-SiC particles have been investigated in the voltage range of -100 V to + 100 V with a 5 V step. The slope of the line changed at the I-V characteristic of the nanomaterial after neutron irradiation. Simultaneously, the resistance of nanocrystalline 3C-SiC decreased approximately from 4 M Omega to 1 M Omega after neutron irradiation. Moreover, the Fowler-Nordheim plots showed that the processes occurred in the nanomaterial were directly based on a tunnel effect and no field emission was observed. It is clear from Fowler-Nordheim plots that, thermal activity is dominated at the all experimental intervals.