Slow positron annihilation spectroscopy – a tool to characterize vacancy-type damage in ion-implanted 6H-SiC

Slow Positron Implantation Spectroscopy (SPIS), based on the generation, implantation and subsequent annihilation of mono-energetic positrons in a sample, is used to study depth dependent vacancy-type damage in ion-implanted 6H-SiC. The derivation of physical information from the Doppler-broadened annihilation lineshape is exemplified. It is found that the depth profile of vacancy-type damage formed in SiC co-implanted by Al+ and N+ at 800 °C, and subsequently annealed at 1200 °C and 1650 °C, strongly depends on the sequence of implantations and on annealing conditions. These studies show that annealing at 1650 °C for 10 minutes is not sufficient to remove the vacancy-type damage created by ion implantation.