| dc.description.abstract | Physical characterisation and subsequent simulations of Schottky diodes on n-type 4H-SiC were performed. The simulations were then expanded to strip detectors in order to propose a suitable design for a microstrip radiation detector. To do this, a set of 4H-SiC Schottky diodes were characterised through I-V, C-V and DLTS measurements. The experimental results were used to implement numerical models in Silvaco Atlas simulations of the measured diodes. By simulating radiation as a track of released charge carriers, transient simulations were performed to simulate the effect of impacting radiation. Lastly, different strip detector designs were simulated. Among the characterised diodes, the highest quality diode had an ideality factor of η = 1.03 and an estimated reverse saturation current I_0 = (1.6 ± 0.1) · 10^−25 A. Its simulated counterpart had an ideality factor of η = 1.01, a reverse saturation current I_0 = 3.6 · 10^−27 A, and avalanche breakdown at about 1600 V. The doping concentration of the top, epitaxial, layer was found to be between 0.9 and 1.4 · 10^15 cm^−3 from capacitance measurements, with indications of a doping depth distribution that increased as a function of depth into the epitaxial layer. DLTS identified traps at energies of Et = 0.69 ± 0.01 eV and Et = 0.18 ± 0.02 eV below the conduction band, attributed to carbon vacancies (Z_1/2) and substitutional Ti atoms, respectively. Their respective concentrations were (2.19 ± 0.13) · 10^13 cm^−3 and Nt = (3.2 ± 0.3) · 10^12 cm^−3. Simulations with varying concentrations of Z_1/2 showed little or no impact on detector performance for concentrations up to 10^15 - 10^16 cm^−3. Capacitance and radiation simulations both showed full depletion of the 10 μm thick epitaxial film at slightly above 100 V, and it was demonstrated that only charges released in this layer induced any detectable current. Simulations of microstrip designs with 10, 20, and 30 μm wide gaps between the electrodes reveal a clear demand for larger voltages when the gaps is wider, and suggest the 20 μm design as preferable for fabrication and further studies. | eng |