Intrinsic defects in non-irradiated silicon carbide crystals

A comprehensive study of the intrinsic defects in sublimation-grown SiC crystals, depending on the growth conditions and thermal annealing is carried out. Complexes of the intrinsic defects including carbon vacancy (VC) and impurities atoms are found in the Si-rich SiC crystals grown by physical vapor transport at low temperatures below 2200 °C. Similar defects are also observed in the SiC crystals irradiated with high-energy particles. Intrinsic defects in grown SiC crystals are characterized by high thermal stability, which is associated with the presence of active metastable clusters. Experimental evidence for the presence of the active clusters in the wide temperature range (up to 2600 °C) is presented. It is shown that intrinsic defects can be also introduced in the SiC crystal by high-temperature diffusion from the p-type epitaxial layer. Paramagnetic defects in SiC are considered a material platform for sensing, quantum photonics, and information processing at ambient conditions.