Identification of a silicon vacancy as an important defect in 4H SiC metal oxide semiconducting field effect transistor using spin dependent recombination

A spin dependent recombination (SDR) spectrum observed in a wide range of SiC metal oxide semiconducting field effect transistors (MOSFETs) has previously been only tentatively linked to a silicon vacancy or vacancy related defect. By resolving hyperfine interactions in SDR detected spectra with C-13 nuclei, we provide an extremely strong argument identifying the SDR spectrum with a silicon vacancy. Since the silicon vacancy spectrum dominates the SDR response in a wide variety of SiC MOSFETs, silicon vacancies are quite important traps in this technology. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3675857]