Identification of a Frenkel-pair defect in electron-irradiated 3 SiC

Son, N. T.*; Janzn, E.*; Isoya, Junichi*; Morishita, Norio; Hanaya, Hiroaki; Takizawa, Haruki; Oshima, Takeshi; Gali, A.*

Defects in electron irradiated 3-SiC were studied by electron paramagnetic resonance EPR. The spectrum labeled LE1 was observed in -type 3 SiC after electron irradiation at low temperatures (80-100 K). Supercell calculations of different configurations of silicon vacancy-interstitial Frenkel-pairs, V-Si, were carried out. Comparing the data obtained from experiments using EPR and supercell calculations, the LE1 center is assigned to the Frenkel-pair between V and a second neighbor Si interstitial along the [100] direction in the 3+ charge state. In addition, a path for the migration of Si was found in 3 SiC. In samples electron-irradiated at low temperatures, the LE1 Frenkel-pair was found to be the dominating defect whereas EPR signals of single vacancies were not detected. The center disappears after warming up the samples to room temperature.