The fabrication and characterization of Ni/4H-SiC schottky diode radiation detectors with a sensitive area of up to 4 cm²

Silicon carbide (SiC) detectors of an Ni/4H-SiC Schottky diode structure and with sensitive areas of 1–4 cm² were fabricated using high-quality lightly doped epitaxial 4H-SiC material, and were tested in the detection of alpha particles and pulsed X-rays/UV-light. A linear energy response to alpha particles ranging from 5.157 to 5.805 MeV was obtained. The detectors were proved to have a low dark current, a good energy resolution, and a high neutron/gamma discrimination for pulsed radiation, showing the advantages in charged particle detection and neutron detection in high-temperature and high-radiation environments.