Wide bandgap semiconductor detectors for harsh radiation environments

In this work two wide bandgap materials, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), were investigated for their performance in harsh radiation environments. Schottky devices were fabricated on vanadium doped SiC (V-SiC), Okmetic semi insulating (SI) non-vanadium doped SiC, SI GaN grown by MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapour deposition) and bulk GaN. Completed devices were electrically characterised and the CCE (charge collection efficiency) calculated from pulse height spectra of Am-241 alpha particles. SI GaN samples were irradiated with estimated neutron fluences of up to 10(16) n/cm(2) (Ljubljana), proton fluences of 10(16) p/cm(2) (CERN), and a dose of 600 Mrad of 10 keV X-rays (ICSTM, London). V-SiC samples were irradiated up to 5 x 10(14) pi/cm(2) using 300 MeV/c pions (PSI). Electrical characterisation and CCE calculations were repeated after irradiation to observe changes in properties caused by radiation induced damage. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.