9745

Abstract. The results of the effect of irradiation with Ar ions on the structural, electrophysical and optical characteristics of the ultraviolet Cr/4H-SiC photodetectors in the spectral range of 200−400 nm are presented. After a single irradiation with 53MeV Ar ions with a fluence of 1 · 1010 cm−2, the quantum efficiency of the photodetectors practically remained at the level of the initial samples due to the "gettering effect“ of simple radiation defects by cluster formations. The observed effect promoted a decrease in the number of simple radiation defects of the vacancy type, an increase in the lifetime of current carriers, and, as a consequence, unchanged values of the photoconductivity of Cr/4H-SiC photodetectors. After repeated irradiation of the photodetectors with Ar ions with a total fluence of 2 · 1010 cm−2, the decay of clusters was observed, the formation of a significant number of simple defect centers, which led to a decrease in the lifetime of current carriers and, as a consequence, to a decrease in photoconductivity of Cr/4H-SiC photodetectors.