A study of the effect of electron and proton irradiation on 4$H$-SiC device structures

The changes of the current–voltage characteristics and the uncompensated donor-impurity concentration $(N_d-N_a)$ in the base electrode of Schottky diodes and JBS diodes based on 4$H$-SiC have been studied upon their irradiation with 0.9-MeV electrons and 15-MeV protons. The carrier-removal rate was 0.07–0.15 cm$^{-1}$ under electron irradiation and 50–70 cm$^{-1}$ under proton irradiation. It was shown that the current–voltage characteristics of the devices under study remain rectifying at electron irradiation doses of up to $\sim$10$^{17}$ cm$^{-2}$. It was demonstrated that the radiation hardness of the SiC-based devices under study substantially exceeds that of silicon $p$–$i$–$n$ diodes with similar breakdown voltages.