Transient Charge Collection in Ultra-Thin SiC Membranes for Single-Ion Detection.

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) detectors continue to emerge as a promising technology for applications requiring radiation hardness, fast response times, and stable operation in harsh environments. In this work, the charge-collection dynamics of ultra-thin membrane SiC detectors are investigated through time-dependent TCAD simulations, consistent with previously reported measurements. The study analyzes the transient response following the localized generation of electron-hole pairs induced by ions, comparing bulk and membrane detector geometries with identical active-layer thicknesses. Two-dimensional simulations provide a time-resolved characterization of the electron and hole current-density distributions within the active region of the device. The results show that both device architectures present a transient current signal featuring two main components. Despite similarities in the prompt drift-driven signal component, the SiC membrane response is characterized by a short secondary component returning to zero within 3.5 × 10^-10 s at zero external bias, making it well-suited for reliable single-ion detection. In contrast, bulk devices exhibit a markedly different response, characterized by a significantly more intense and prolonged secondary component followed by a long tail that does not return to zero within the simulation time window for all investigated reverse biases. This tail is the result of the collection of carriers generated in the substrate that reach the depletion region through diffusion-driven processes. These findings contribute to the optimization of SiC-based solid-state detectors for quantum-technology device fabrication, demonstrating that the removal of the substrate drastically reduces the diffusion-dominated current component, thereby ensuring precise timing and minimal charge loss.