Damage formation and recovery in C+-irradiated 6b-SiC

Single crystals of 6H-SiC were irradiated with 550 keV C+ ions over a range of temperatures (180-870 K) and ion fluences (1 x 1018 to 5 x 1019 C+/m2). The damage induced by the irradiation ranged from dilute defect concentrations up to buried amorphous layers. Damage recovery in the samples irradiated at 180 K has been followed by isochronal annealing (20 min) at 300, 470, 670 and 870 K. The accumulation and recovery of atomic disorder on the Si sublattice has been studied using in situ Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry in combination with ion channeling methods (RBS/C). The disordering rate shows a sigmoidal dependence on dose at each irradiation temperature. Simultaneous defect recovery processes occur during irradiation at room temperature, and post-irradiation thermal defect recovery is also observed at room temperature