SiC detector damage and characterization for high intensity laser-plasma diagnostics

Abstract

Silicon-Carbide (SiC) detectors are always more extensively employed as diagnostics in laser-generated plasma due to their remarkable properties such as their high band gap, high carrier velocity, high detection efficiency, high radiation resistance and low leakage current at room temperature. SiC detectors, in comparison with Si detectors, have the advantage of being insensitive to visible light, having low reverse current at high temperature and high radiation hardness. A similar energy resolution characterizes the two types of detectors, being 0.8% in Si and 1.0% in SiC, as measured detecting 5.8 MeV alpha particles.Generally, SiC detectors are employed as laser-plasma diagnostics in time-of-flight configuration, permitting the simultaneous detection of photons, electrons and ions based on discrimination of velocity. SiC detectors can be employed in the proportionality regime, because their response is proportional to the radiation energy deposited in the active layer. Using thin absorbers in front of the detectors makes it possible to have further information on the radiation nature, intensity and energy. Surface characterization of SiC before and after prolonged exposure to hot plasma laser generated shows the formation of bulk defects and thin film deposition on the detector surface limiting the device functionality. K: Detection of defects; Instrumentation and methods for time-of-flight (TOF) spectroscopy; Plasma diagnostics -charged-particle spectroscopy; Solid state detectors 1Corresponding author.

SiC detectors for radiation sources characterization and fast plasma diagnostic

“…In our SiC diodes we also performed electrical characterization studies concerning the I-V measurements which show a very low leakage current even at room temperature. Our I-V measurements are presented in recent literature [12]. C-V measurements are already present in literature of other authors (Sciuto and Mazzillo), indicating that C capacitance of the device shows a decrement only for reverse bias of the order of 1-5 V, after which remain constant up to high applied biases [13].…”

Electron spectroscopy with a commercial 4H-SiC photodiode

“…as electron spectrometers to measure the energy and particle density of electrons in low earth orbit and elsewhere). Much valuable work has also been reported considering SiC detectors for use in laser-plasma diagnostics and the related fields [14][15][16][17].…”

Characterization of a SiC MIS Schottky diode as RBS particle detector

“…4H-SiC has the advantage of being resistant to radiation [1,5], so it can operate for long periods in extreme environments without varying its physical and chemical properties. Furthermore, the high displacement threshold energy (22-35 eV) [1] makes SiC detector parameters less affected by exposure to harsh environment when compared to Si ones [6][7][8]. One particular application for SiC detectors is in sub-MeV alpha spectrometry [9], where alpha particle beams are used to characterize the hot plasma generated by low intensity laser, to control ion beams produced by ion implanters or yet to perform material science investigation through Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) experiments.…”