<i>M</i> center in 4<i>H</i>-SiC is a carbon self-interstitial
J. Coutinho, José D. Gouveia, Takahiro Makino, Takeshi Ohshima, Željko Pastuović, Luka Bakrač, Tomislav Brodar, Ivana Capan
Abstract
The list of semiconductor materials with spectroscopically fingerprinted self-interstitials is very short. The M center in 4H-SiC, a bistable defect responsible for a family of electron traps, has been deprived of a model which could unveil its real importance for almost two decades. Using advanced first-principles calculations and junction spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the properties of M, including bistability, annealing, reconfiguration kinetics, and electronic levels match those of the carbon self-interstitial.
Topics & Concepts
BistabilityAnnealing (glass)Materials scienceSemiconductorCenter (category theory)Condensed matter physicsControl reconfigurationSpectroscopyCrystallographyOptoelectronicsChemistryPhysicsComputer scienceComposite materialQuantum mechanicsEmbedded systemSilicon Carbide Semiconductor TechnologiesGraphene research and applicationsSemiconductor materials and devices