Electron Paramagnetic Resonance study on n-type electron-irradiated 3C-SiC

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) was used to study defects in n-type 3C-SiC films irradiated by 3-MeV electrons at room temperature with a dose of 2x10(18) cm(-2). After electron irradiation, two new EPR spectra with an effective spin S = 1, labeled L5 and L6, were observed. The L5 center has C-3v symmetry with g = 2.004 and a fine-structure parameter D = 436.5 x 10(-4) cm(-1). The L5 spectrum was only detected under light illumination and it could not be detected after annealing at similar to 550 C. The principal z-axis of the D tensor is parallel to the < 111 >-directions, indicating the location of spins along the Si-C bonds. Judging from the symmetry and the fact that the signal was detected under illumination in n-type material, the L5 center may be related to the divacancy in the neutral charge state. The L6 center has a C-2v-symmetry with an isotropic g-value of g=2.003 and the fine structure parameters D=547.7 x 10(-4) cm-1 and E=56.2 x 10(-4) cm(-1). The L6 center disappeared after annealing at a rather low temperature (similar to 200 degrees C), which is substantially lower than the known annealing temperatures for vacancy-related defects in 3C-SiC. This highly mobile defect may be related to carbon interstitials.