Effect of neutron irradiation on current-voltage characteristics of packaged diodes based on 6H-SiC pn structures

Neutron irradiation (∼1 MeV, dose 10 14 -5.6·10 15 neutron/cm 2 ) of packaged diodes based on 6H-SiC pn structures (with the base n-layer doped to ∼5·10 16 cm −3 ) has been studied. In addition to the well-known rise in the series resistance of the diodes, the effect of a partial suppression of the excess current in both forward- and reverse-biased diodes and that of an increase in the recombination current, probably associated with the decrease in the nonequilibrium carrier lifetime, were discovered and discussed. These effects are common to 6H- and 4H-SiC pn structures.