Investigation of the Trench Schottky-Type Neutron Detectors Based on First Principles

In the present study, the thermal neutron detection sensor is fabricated through the integration of fluoride (6LiF) and Silicon Carbide (4H-SiC) as core constituent materials. In order to simulate the thermal oxidation behavior of 4H-SiC under realistic oxidizing conditions, a thermodynamic calculation approach grounded in the first law of thermodynamics was utilized. The simulation indicates that a temperature of 1373 K is optimal for the growth of SiO2thin films through thermal oxidation. It has been demonstrated that thermal oxidation results in the formation of a SiO2dielectric layer on the detector surface. This layer has been shown to be effective in suppressing leakage current, thereby ensuring the stable and reliable operation of the detector. The trap states of majority and minority carriers in the 4H-SiC neutron detector were systematically characterized by means of deep level transient spectroscopy. Three distinct trap states were identified at the energy levels ofE1,S1, andE0, among which the electron trapE0 is predominant, with a concentration of 1.14e13 cm-3. The experimental results demonstrate that the neutron detection efficiency attains a maximum value of 6.57%. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the experimental and theoretical analyses of the 4H-SiC/SiO2neutron detector. The study provides theoretical insights into the origins of interface states and identifies potential avenues for future passivation strategies.