Carrier Lifetime Measurements in 10 Kv 4H-Sic Diodes

The minority carrier lifetime E, has been measured by open circuit voltage decay (OCVD) and current recovery time (CRT) (or Lax-Neustadter's) techniques in high-voltage (10 kV) 4H-SiC p(+)n(0)n(+) diodes, The tau(p) value measured by OCVD is 1.55 mus at room temperature, which is the highest reported value for 4H-SiC diodes. CRT measurements indicate a homogeneous distribution of carrier lifetime across the diode base without any deteriorated layer between the p(+)-emitter and the n(0)-base. Some limitations of lifetime measurements by CRT are discussed.