EPR and ab initio calculation study on the EI4 center in 4H- and 6H-SiC

We present results from electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of the EI4 EPR center in 4H- and 6H-SiC. The EPR signal of the EI4 center was found to be drastically enhanced in electron-irradiated high-purity semi-insulating materials after annealing at 700-750 deg. C. Strong EPR signals of the EI4 center with minimal interferences from other radiation-induced defects in irradiated high-purity semi-insulating materials allowed our more detailed study of the hyperfine (hf) structures. An additional large-splitting 29Si hf structure and 13C hf lines of the EI4 defect were observed. Comparing the data on the hf interactions and the annealing behavior obtained from EPR experiments and from ab initio supercell calculations of different carbon-vacancy-related complexes, we suggest a complex between a carbon vacancy-carbon antisite and a carbon vacancy at the third-neighbor site of the antisite in the neutral charge state, (VC-CSiVC)0, as a new defect model for the EI4 center.