Shallow negatively charged silicon-vacancy centers have applications in magnetic quantum sensing and other quantum applications. Vacancy centers near the surface (within 100 nm) have different spin relaxation rates and optical spin polarization, affecting the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) signal. This makes it essential to characterize these centers. Here we present the relevant spin properties of such centers. ODMR with a contrast of up to 6%, which is better than the state of the art, allowed us to determine the zero-field splitting, which is relevant for most sensing applications. We also present intensity-correlation data to verify that the signal originates from a single center and to extract transition rates between different electronic states.

One of the main challenges in realizing 4H–SiC (silicon carbide)-based bipolar devices is the improvement of minority carrier lifetime in as-grown epitaxial layers. Although Z1/2 has been identified as the dominant carrier lifetime limiting defect, we report on B-related centers being another dominant source of recombination and acting as lifetime limiting defects in 4H–SiC epitaxial layers. Combining time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurement in near band edge emission and 530 nm, deep level transient spectroscopy, and minority carrier transient spectroscopy (MCTS), it was found that B related deep levels in the lower half of the bandgap are responsible for killing the minority carriers in n-type, 4H–SiC epitaxial layers when the concentration of Z1/2 is already low. The impact of these centers on the charge carrier dynamics is investigated by correlating the MCTS results with temperature-dependent TRPL decay measurements. It is shown that the influence of shallow B acceptors on the minority carrier lifetime becomes neutralized at temperatures above ∼422 K. Instead, the deep B related acceptor level, known as the D-center, remains active until temperatures above ∼570 K. Moreover, a correlation between the deep level concentrations, minority carrier lifetimes, and growth parameters indicates that intentional nitrogen doping hinders the formation of deep B acceptor levels. Furthermore, tuning growth parameters, including growth temperature and C/Si ratio, is shown to be crucial for improving the minority carrier lifetime in as-grown 4H–SiC epitaxial layers.

Color centers are point defects in crystals that can provide an optical interface to a long-lived spin state for distributed quantum information processing applications. An outstanding challenge for color center quantum technologies is the integration of optically coherent emitters into scalable thin-film photonics, a prerequisite for large-scale photonics integration of color centers within a commercial foundry process. Here, we report on the integration of near-transform-limited silicon vacancy (VSi) defects into microdisk resonators fabricated in a CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon carbide-on-insulator platform. We demonstrate a single-emitter cooperativity of up to 0.8 as well as optical superradiance from a pair of color centers coupled to the same cavity mode. We investigate the effect of multimode interference on the photon scattering dynamics from this multiemitter cavity quantum electrodynamics system. These results are crucial for the development of quantum networks in silicon carbide and bridge the classical-quantum photonics gap by uniting optically coherent spin defects with wafer-scalable, state-of-the-art photonics.

Color-center defects in silicon carbide promise opto-electronic quantum applications in several fields, such as computing, sensing, and communication. In order to scale down and combine these functionalities with the existing silicon device platforms, it is crucial to consider SiC integrated optics. In recent years, many examples of SiC photonic platforms have been shown, like photonic crystal cavities, film-on-insulator waveguides, and micro-ring resonators. However, all these examples rely on separating thin films of SiC from substrate wafers. This introduces significant surface roughness, strain, and defects in the material, which greatly affects the homogeneity of the optical properties of color centers. Here, we present and test a method for fabricating monolithic single-crystal integrated-photonic devices in SiC: tuning optical properties via charge carrier concentration. We fabricated monolithic SiC n-i-n and p-i-n junctions where the intrinsic layer acts as waveguide core, and demonstrate the waveguide functionality for these samples. The propagation losses are below 14 dB/cm. These waveguide types allow for addressing color centers over a broad wavelength range with low strain-induced inhomogeneity of the optical-transition frequencies. Furthermore, we expect that our findings open the road to fabricating waveguides and devices based on p-i-n junctions, which will allow for integrated electrostatic and radio frequency control together with high-intensity optical control of defects in silicon carbide.

The hot-wall metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) concept, previously shown to enable superior material quality and high performance devices based on wide bandgap semiconductors, such as Ga(Al)N and SiC, has been applied to the epitaxial growth of beta-Ga2O3. Epitaxial beta-Ga2O3 layers at high growth rates (above 1 mu m/h), at low reagent flows, and at reduced growth temperatures (740 degrees C) are demonstrated. A high crystalline quality epitaxial material on a c-plane sapphire substrate is attained as corroborated by a combination of x-ray diffraction, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. The hot-wall MOCVD process is transferred to homoepitaxy, and single-crystalline homoepitaxial beta-Ga2O3 layers are demonstrated with a 201 rocking curve width of 118 arc sec, which is comparable to those of the edge-defined film-fed grown (201) beta-Ga2O3 substrates, indicative of similar dislocation densities for epilayers and substrates. Hence, hot-wall MOCVD is proposed as a prospective growth method to be further explored for the fabrication of beta-Ga2O3.

Colour centres are a promising quantum information platform, but coherence degradation after integration in nanostructures has hindered scalability. Here, the authors show that waveguide-integrated V-Si centres in SiC maintain spin-optical coherences, enabling nuclear high-fidelity spin qubit operations. Optically addressable spin defects in silicon carbide (SiC) are an emerging platform for quantum information processing compatible with nanofabrication processes and device control used by the semiconductor industry. System scalability towards large-scale quantum networks demands integration into nanophotonic structures with efficient spin-photon interfaces. However, degradation of the spin-optical coherence after integration in nanophotonic structures has hindered the potential of most colour centre platforms. Here, we demonstrate the implantation of silicon vacancy centres (V-Si) in SiC without deterioration of their intrinsic spin-optical properties. In particular, we show nearly lifetime-limited photon emission and high spin-coherence times for single defects implanted in bulk as well as in nanophotonic waveguides created by reactive ion etching. Furthermore, we take advantage of the high spin-optical coherences of V-Si centres in waveguides to demonstrate controlled operations on nearby nuclear spin qubits, which is a crucial step towards fault-tolerant quantum information distribution based on cavity quantum electrodynamics.

An outstanding hurdle for defect spin qubits in silicon carbide (SiC) is single-shot readout, a deterministic measurement of the quantum state. Here, we demonstrate single-shot readout of single defects in SiC via spin-to-charge conversion, whereby the defects spin state is mapped onto a long-lived charge state. With this technique, we achieve over 80% readout fidelity without pre- or postselection, resulting in a high signal-to-noise ratio that enables us to measure long spin coherence times. Combined with pulsed dynamical decoupling sequences in an isotopically purified host material, we report single-spin T-2 > 5 seconds, over two orders of magnitude greater than previously reported in this system. The mapping of these coherent spin states onto single charges unlocks both single-shot readout for scalable quantum nodes and opportunities for electrical readout via integration with semiconductor devices.

Color centers in silicon carbide are emerging candidates for distributed spin-based quantum applications due to the scalability of host materials and the demonstration of integration into nanophotonic resonators. Recently, silicon vacancy centers in silicon carbide have been identified as a promising system with excellent spin and optical properties. Here, we fully study the spin-optical dynamics of the single silicon vacancy center at hexagonal lattice sites, namely V1, in 4H-polytype silicon carbide. By utilizing resonant and above-resonant sublifetime pulsed excitation, we determine spin-dependent excited-state lifetimes and intersystem-crossing rates. Our approach to inferring the intersystem-crossing rates is based on all-optical pulsed initialization and readout scheme, and is applicable to spin-active color centers with similar dynamics models. In addition, the optical transition dipole strength and the quantum efficiency of V1 defect are evaluated based on coherent optical Rabi measurement and local-field calibration employing electric field simulation. The measured rates well explain the results of spin-state polarization dynamics, and we further discuss the altered photoemission dynamics in resonant enhancement structures such as radiative lifetime shortening and Purcell enhancement. By providing a thorough description of the V1 center???s spin-optical dynamics, our work provides deep understanding of the system, which guides implementations of scalable quantum applications based on silicon vacancy centers in silicon carbide.

The origin and the formation mechanism of a surface morphological defect in 4H-SiC epilayers are reported. The defect appears on the surface of an epilayer as an inclined line-like feature at an angle of +/- 80 degrees to the step-flow direction [ 11 2 over bar 0 ] . The defect is confirmed to originate from a threading screw dislocation intersecting the surface and its orientation is controlled by the sign of the Burgers vector of the dislocation. The defect forms through the interaction of local spiral growth associated with threading screw dislocations and step-flow growth related to the substrate offcut. The defect mainly appears in the epilayers grown through chloride-based chemistry, where in situ surface preparation of the substrate is performed in H-2 + HCl at a relatively high temperature.

Optically active solid-state spin registers have demonstrated their unique potential in quantum computing, communication, and sensing. Realizing scalability and increasing application complexity require entangling multiple individual systems, e.g., via photon interference in an optical network. However, most solid-state emitters show relatively broad spectral distributions, which hinders optical interference experiments. Here, we demonstrate that silicon vacancy centers in semiconductor silicon carbide (SiC) provide a remarkably small natural distribution of their optical absorption/emission lines despite an elevated defect concentration of approximate to 0.43 mu m - 3. In particular, without any external tuning mechanism, we show that only 13 defects have to be investigated until at least two optical lines overlap within the lifetime-limited linewidth. Moreover, we identify emitters with overlapping emission profiles within diffraction-limited excitation spots, for which we introduce simplified schemes for the generation of computationally relevant Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger and cluster states. Our results underline the potential of the CMOS-compatible SiC platform toward realizing networked quantum technology applications.

In current long-distance communications, classical information carried by large numbers of particles is intrinsically robust to some transmission losses but can, therefore, be eavesdropped without notice. On the other hand, quantum communications can provide provable privacy and could make use of entanglement swapping via quantum repeaters to mitigate transmission losses. To this end, considerable effort has been spent over the last few decades toward developing quantum repeaters that combine long-lived quantum memories with a source of indistinguishable single photons. Multiple candidate optical spin qubits in the solid state, including quantum dots, rare-earth ions, and color centers in diamond and silicon carbide (SiC), have been developed. In this perspective, we give a brief overview on recent advances in developing optically active spin qubits in SiC and discuss challenges in applications for quantum repeaters and possible solutions. In view of the development of different material platforms, the perspective of SiC spin qubits in scalable quantum networks is discussed.

Isotope engineering of silicon carbide leads to control of nuclear spins associated with single divacancy centres and extended electron spin coherence. Nuclear spins in the solid state are both a cause of decoherence and a valuable resource for spin qubits. In this work, we demonstrate control of isolated(29)Si nuclear spins in silicon carbide (SiC) to create an entangled state between an optically active divacancy spin and a strongly coupled nuclear register. We then show how isotopic engineering of SiC unlocks control of single weakly coupled nuclear spins and present an ab initio method to predict the optimal isotopic fraction that maximizes the number of usable nuclear memories. We bolster these results by reporting high-fidelity electron spin control (F = 99.984(1)%), alongside extended coherence times (Hahn-echoT(2) = 2.3 ms, dynamical decouplingT(2)(DD) > 14.5 ms), and a >40-fold increase in Ramsey spin dephasing time (T-2*) from isotopic purification. Overall, this work underlines the importance of controlling the nuclear environment in solid-state systems and links single photon emitters with nuclear registers in an industrially scalable material.

Self-diffusion of carbon (C-12 and C-13) and silicon (Si-28 and Si-30) in 4H silicon carbide has been investigated by utilizing a structure containing an isotope purified 4H-(SiC)-Si-28-C-12 epitaxial layer grown on an n-type (0001) 4H-SiC substrate, and finally covered by a carbon capping layer (C-cap). The C-13 and Si-30 isotope profiles were monitored using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) following successive heat treatments performed at 2300-2450 degrees C in Ar atmosphere using an inductively heated furnace. The 30Si profiles show little redistribution within the studied temperature range, with the extracted diffusion lengths for Si being within the error bar for surface roughening during annealing, as determined by profilometer measurements. On the other hand, a significant diffusion of C-13 was observed into the isotope purified layer from both the substrate and the C-cap. A diffusivity of D=8.3x106e(-10.4/kBT) cm(2)/s for C-13 was extracted, in contrast to previous findings that yielded lower both pre-factors and activation energies for C self-diffusion in SiC. The discrepancy between the present measurements and previous theoretical and experimental works is ascribed to the presence of the C-cap, which is responsible for continuous injection of C interstitials during annealing, and thereby suppressing the vacancy mediated diffusion.

A 10 kV 4H-SiC epitaxial PiN diode is fabricated and the measured static on-state current voltage characteristics are used to tune the physical models and parameters included in TCAD device simulations. From the measurements it is found that the on-state voltage drop decreases more than 0.5 V at a current density of 100 A/cm(2), as the temperature is raised from room temperature to 300 degrees C. The steep slope of the IV-curve is, furthermore, maintained at elevated temperatures in contrast to most silicon PiN structures, where the decrease in mobility at higher temperatures typically decreases the IV slope, resulting in an increased voltage drop. Physical device simulations, involving common models for bandgap, incomplete ionization, charge carrier lifetime and mobility, are systematically compared and optimized to obtain the best fit with measured data. The negative temperature dependence can be simulated with good precision although the fitting is very sensitive to the choice of mobility models and, in particular, the acceptor ionization energy.

The ability to shape photon emission facilitates strong photon-mediated interactions between disparate physical systems, thereby enabling applications in quantum information processing, simulation and communication. Spectral control in solid state platforms such as color centers, rare earth ions, and quantum dots is particularly attractive for realizing such applications on-chip. Here we propose the use of frequency-modulated optical transitions for spectral engineering of single photon emission. Using a scattering-matrix formalism, we find that a two-level system, when modulated faster than its optical lifetime, can be treated as a single-photon source with a widely reconfigurable photon spectrum that is amenable to standard numerical optimization techniques. To enable the experimental demonstration of this spectral control scheme, we investigate the Stark tuning properties of the silicon vacancy in silicon carbide, a color center with promise for optical quantum information processing technologies. We find that the silicon vacancy possesses excellent spectral stability and tuning characteristics, allowing us to probe its fast modulation regime, observe the theoretically-predicted two-photon correlations, and demonstrate spectral engineering. Our results suggest that frequency modulation is a powerful technique for the generation of new light states with unprecedented control over the spectral and temporal properties of single photons.

Quantum systems combining indistinguishable photon generation and spin-based quantum information processing are essential for remote quantum applications and networking. However, identification of suitable systems in scalable platforms remains a challenge. Here, we investigate the silicon vacancy centre in silicon carbide and demonstrate controlled emission of indistinguishable and distinguishable photons via coherent spin manipulation. Using strong off-resonant excitation and collecting zero-phonon line photons, we show a two-photon interference contrast close to 90% in Hong-Ou-Mandel type experiments. Further, we exploit the systems intimate spin-photon relation to spin-control the colour and indistinguishability of consecutively emitted photons. Our results provide a deep insight into the systems spin-phonon-photon physics and underline the potential of the industrially compatible silicon carbide platform for measurement-based entanglement distribution and photonic cluster state generation. Additional coupling to quantum registers based on individual nuclear spins would further allow for high-level network-relevant quantum information processing, such as error correction and entanglement purification. Defects in silicon carbide can act as single photon sources that also have the benefit of a host material that is already used in electronic devices. Here the authors demonstrate that they can control the distinguishability of the emitted photons by changing the defect spin state.

We present the DC Stark tuning of single Silicon Vacancies in SiC. We demonstrate static tuning across 200 GHz, exceeding the inhomogenous broadening, and dynamic tuning on timescales shorter than the optical decay rate. (C) 2020 The Author(s)

Silicon-vacancy qubits in silicon carbide (SiC) are emerging tools in quantum-technology applications due to their excellent optical and spin properties. In this paper, we explore the effect of temperature and strain on these properties by focusing on the two silicon-vacancy qubits, V1 and V2, in 4H-SiC. We apply density-functional theory beyond the Born-Oppenheimer approximation to describe the temperature-dependent mixing of electronic excited states assisted by phonons. We obtain a polaronic gap of around 5 and 22 meV for the V1 and V2 centers, respectively, which results in a significant difference in the temperature-dependent dephasing and zero-field splitting of the excited states, which explains recent experimental findings. We also compute how crystal deformations affect the zero-phonon line of these emitters. Our predictions are important ingredients in any quantum applications of these qubits sensitive to these effects.

We investigate the migration mechanism of the carbon vacancy (V-C) in silicon carbide (SiC) using a combination of theoretical and experimental methodologies. The V-C, commonly present even in state-of-the-art epitaxial SiC material, is known to be a carrier lifetime killer and therefore strongly detrimental to device performance. The desire for V-C removal has prompted extensive investigations involving its stability and reactivity. Despite suggestions from theory that V(C )migrates exclusively on the C sublattice via vacancy-atom exchange, experimental support for such a picture is still unavailable. Moreover, the existence of two inequivalent locations for the vacancy in 4H-SiC [hexagonal, V-C(h), and pseudocubic, V-C(k)] and their consequences for V-C migration have not been considered so far. The first part of the paper presents a theoretical study of V(C )migration in 3C- and 4H-SiC. We employ a combination of nudged elastic band (NEB) and dimer methods to identify the migration mechanisms, transition state geometries, and respective energy barriers for V(C )migration. In 3C-SiC, V-C is found to migrate with an activation energy of E-A = 4.0 eV. In 4H-SiC, on the other hand, we anticipate that V-C migration is both anisotropic and basal-plane selective. The consequence of these effects is a slower diffusivity along the axial direction, with a predicted activation energy of E-A = 4.2 eV, and a striking preference for basal migration within the h plane with a barrier of E-A = 3.7 eV, to the detriment of the k-basal plane. Both effects are rationalized in terms of coordination and bond angle changes near the transition state. In the second part, we provide experimental data that corroborates the above theoretical picture. Anisotropic migration of V-C in 4H-SiC is demonstrated by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) depth profiling of the Z(1/2) electron trap in annealed samples that were subject to ion implantation. Activation energies of E-A = (4.4 +/- 0.3) eV and E-A = (3.6 +/- 0.3) eV were found for V-C migration along the c and a directions, respectively, in excellent agreement with the analogous theoretical values. The corresponding prefactors of D-0 = 0.54 cm(2)/s and 0.017 cm(2)/s are in line with a simple jump process, as expected for a primary vacancy point defect.

Quantum technology relies on proper hardware, enabling coherent quantum state control as well as efficient quantum state readout. In this regard, wide-bandgap semiconductors are an emerging material platform with scalable wafer fabrication methods, hosting several promising spin-active point defects. Conventional readout protocols for defect spins rely on fluorescence detection and are limited by a low photon collection efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a photo-electrical detection technique for electron spins of silicon vacancy ensembles in the 4H polytype of silicon carbide (SiC). Further, we show coherent spin state control, proving that this electrical readout technique enables detection of coherent spin motion. Our readout works at ambient conditions, while other electrical readout approaches are often limited to low temperatures or high magnetic fields. Considering the excellent maturity of SiC electronics with the outstanding coherence properties of SiC defects, the approach presented here holds promises for scalability of future SiC quantum devices.

Highly resistive homoepitaxial layers of 4H-SiC have been grown on the Si-face of nominally on-axis, n-type substrates using chemical vapor deposition. Vanadium tetrachloride has been used as the V-dopant which is responsible for the high resistivity of the epilayers. 100% 4H-polytype was reproduced in the epilayers using the optimized on-axis growth process. The upper limit of vanadium tetrachloride flow rate was also established to achieve high resistivity epilayers free of 3C polytype inclusion. A resistivity of more than 1 x 10(5) Omega cm has been achieved in epilayers with a very low concentration of V (1 x 10(15) cm(-3)). Owing to the low concentration of V, superior epilayer structural quality was achieved compared to V-doped and standard high purity semi-insulating bulk grown material of similar resistivity. Epitaxial layers with varying vanadium tetrachloride flow have also been grown to study the influence of V concentration on the polytype stability, structural quality, and optical and electrical properties of epilayers. A clear correspondence has been observed in the flow-rates of vanadium tetrachloride, the atomic concentration of V, and electrical, optical, and structural properties of epilayers. Published under license by AIP Publishing.

Spin defects in silicon carbide have the advantage of exceptional electron spin coherence combined with a near-infrared spin-photon interface, all in a material amenable to modern semiconductor fabrication. Leveraging these advantages, we integrated highly coherent single neutral divacancy spins in commercially available p-i-n structures and fabricated diodes to modulate the local electrical environment of the defects. These devices enable deterministic charge-state control and broad Stark-shift tuning exceeding 850 gigahertz. We show that charge depletion results in a narrowing of the optical linewidths by more than 50-fold, approaching the lifetime limit. These results demonstrate a method for mitigating the ubiquitous problem of spectral diffusion in solid-state emitters by engineering the electrical environment while using classical semiconductor devices to control scalable, spin-based quantum systems.

We report promising results regarding the possible use of AlN or Al2O3 as a gate dielectric in 4H-SiC MISFETs. The crystalline AlN films are grown by hot wall metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at 1100 degrees C. The amorphous Al2O3 films are grown by repeated deposition and subsequent low temperature (200 degrees C) oxidation of thin Al layers using a hot plate. Our investigation shows a very low density of interface traps at the AlN/4H-SiC and the Al2O3/4H-SiC interface estimated from capacitance-voltage (CV) analysis of MIS capacitors. Current-voltage (IV) analysis shows that the breakdown electric field across the AlN or Al2O3 is similar to 3 MV/cm or similar to 5 MV/cm respectively. By depositing an additional SiO2 layer by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 300 degrees C on top of the AlN or Al2O3 layers, it is possible to increase the breakdown voltage of the MIS capacitors significantly without having pronounced impact on the quality of the AlN/SiC or Al2O3/SiC interfaces.

We report on a very low density of interface traps at the AlN/4H-SiC interface estimated from capacitance-voltage (CV) analysis of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors. Single crystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) films are grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Current-voltage (IV) analysis shows that the breakdown electric field across the AlN dielectric is 3 MV/cm. By depositing an additional SiO2 layer on top of the AlN layer it is possible to increase the breakdown voltage of the MIS capacitors significantly without having pronounced impact on the quality of the AlN/SiC interface.

Color centers with long-lived spins are established platforms for quantum sensing and quantum information applications. Color centers exist in different charge states, each of them with distinct optical and spin properties. Application to quantum technology requires the capability to access and stabilize charge states for each specific task. Here, we investigate charge state manipulation of individual silicon vacancies in silicon carbide, a system which has recently shown a unique combination of long spin coherence time and ultrastable spin-selective optical transitions. In particular, we demonstrate charge state switching through the bias applied to the color center in an integrated silicon carbide optoelectronic device. We show that the electronic environment defined by the doping profile and the distribution of other defects in the device plays a key role for charge state control. Our experimental results and numerical modeling evidence that control of these complex interactions can, under certain conditions, enhance the photon emission rate. These findings open the way for deterministic control over the charge state of spin-active color centers for quantum technology and provide novel techniques for monitoring doping profiles and voltage sensing in microscopic devices.

We report on the electrical properties of the AlN/4H-SiC interface using capacitance- and conductance-voltage (CV and GV) analysis of AlN/SiC MIS capacitors. The crystalline AlN layers are made by hot wall MOCVD. CV analysis at room temperature reveals an order of magnitude lower density of interface traps at the AlN/SiC interface than at nitrided SiO2/SiC interfaces. Electron trapping in bulk traps within the AlN is significant when the MIS capacitors are biased into accumulation resulting in a large flatband voltage shift towards higher gate voltage. This process is reversible and the electrons are fully released from the AlN layer if depletion bias is applied at elevated temperatures. Current-voltage (IV) analysis reveals that the breakdown electric field intensity across the AlN dielectric is 3-4 MV/cm and is limited by trap assisted leakage. By depositing an additional SiO2 layer on top of the AlN layer, it is possible to increase the breakdown voltage of the MIS capacitors significantly without having much impact on the quality of the AlN/SiC interface.

The carbon antisite-vacancy pair (CSiVC) in silicon carbide (SiC) has recently emerged as a promising defect for applications in quantum communication. In the positive charge state, CSiVC+ can be engineered to produce ultrabright single photon sources in the red spectral region, while in the neutral charge state, it has been predicted to emit light at telecom wavelengths and to have spin properties suitable for a quantum bit. In this electron paramagnetic resonance study using ultrapure compensated isotope-enriched 4H-(SiC)-Si-28, we determine the (+|0) level of CSiVC and show that the positive and neutral charge states of the defect can be optically controlled.

Scalable quantum networking requires quantum systems with quantum processing capabilities. Solid state spin systems with reliable spin-optical interfaces are a leading hardware in this regard. However, available systems suffer from large electron-phonon interaction or fast spin dephasing. Here, we demonstrate that the negatively charged silicon-vacancy centre in silicon carbide is immune to both drawbacks. Thanks to its (4)A(2) symmetry in ground and excited states, optical resonances are stable with near-Fourier-transform-limited linewidths, allowing exploitation of the spin selectivity of the optical transitions. In combination with millisecond-long spin coherence times originating from the high-purity crystal, we demonstrate high-fidelity optical initialization and coherent spin control, which we exploit to show coherent coupling to single nuclear spins with similar to 1 kHz resolution. The summary of our findings makes this defect a prime candidate for realising memory-assisted quantum network applications using semiconductor-based spin-to-photon interfaces and coherently coupled nuclear spins.

The negative silicon vacancy (V-Si(-)) in SiC has recently emerged as a promising defect for quantum communication and room-temperature quantum sensing. However, its electronic structure is still not well characterized. While the isolated Si vacancy is expected to give rise to only two paramagnetic centers corresponding to two inequivalent lattice sites in 4H-SiC, there have been five electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) centers assigned to V-Si(-) in the past: the so-called isolated no-zero-field splitting (ZFS) V-Si(-) center and another four axial configurations with small ZFS: T-V1a, T-V2a, T-V1b, and T-V2b. Due to overlapping with Si-29 hyperfine (hf) structures in EPR spectra of natural 4H-SiC, hf parameters of T-V1a have not been determined. Using isotopically enriched 4H-(SiC)-Si-28, we overcome the problems of signal overlapping and observe hf parameters of nearest C neighbors for all three components of the S = 3/2 T-V1a and T-V2a centers. The obtained EPR data support the conclusion that only T-V1a and T-V2a are related to V-Si(-) and the two configurations of the so-called isolated no-ZFS V-Si(-) center, V-Si(-) (I) and V-Si(-) (II), are actually the central lines corresponding to the transition I-1/2 amp;lt;-amp;gt; I + 1/2 of the T-V2a and T-V1a centers, respectively.

We study the optical properties of tetravalent-vanadium impurities in 4H silicon carbide. Light emission from two crystalline sites is observed at wavelengths of 1.28 and 1.33 mu m, with optical lifetimes of 163 and 43 ns, respectively, which remains stable up to 50 and 20 K, respectively. Moreover, spectrally broad photoluminescence is observed up to room temperature. Group-theory and ab initio density-functional supercell calculations enable unequivocal site assignment and shed light on the spectral features of the defects. Specifically, our numerical simulations indicate that the site assignment is reversed with respect to previous assumptions. Our calculations show that vanadium in silicon carbide has highly favorable properties for the generation of single photons in the telecommunication wavelength regime. Combined with the available electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom, vanadium presents all the ingredients required for a highly efficient spin-photon interface.

On-axis homoepitaxy of 4H-SiC has the advantage of producing epilayers that are free of basal plane dislocations. Such layers can be highly beneficial for SiC-based high-power bipolar electronic devices which otherwise suffer from bipolar degradation phenomena related to basal plane dislocations in epilayers. In this study, we have developed on-axis homoepitaxy on the Si-face of 100 mm diameter 4H-SiC wafers with only 4H polytype in the epilayer excluding the edges of the wafer. We have also compared standard and chloride-based growth, the influence of different ambient conditions on surface preparation of the substrate, the influence of the histories of different growth cells, and the geometry of the susceptors regarding 4H-polytype stability in the epilayer. Substrate surface preparation, growth temperature, C/Si ratio, and Si/H ratio are found to be the most influential parameters to achieve homoepitaxy. On-axis homoepitaxial growth rate is limited to a very low value of amp;lt;10 mu m/h. We have performed a systematic study to understand the influence of different growth parameters and gas phase chemistries to determine whether on-axis growth rate can be enhanced and, if not, what the limiting factors are. Our experimental evidence suggests that the on-axis growth rate is not limited by the gas phase chemistry or diffusion, but it is limited by the surface kinetics. A significantly low step density on on-axis substrates lowers the surface reaction rates and limits the growth rate to lower values. It may not be possible to further improve the growth rate even with chloride-based growth using epitaxial growth conditions.

Single-photon emitting devices have been identified as an important building block for applications in quantum information and quantum communication. They allow us to transduce and collect quantum information over a long distance via photons as so-called flying qubits. In addition, substrates like silicon carbide provide an excellent material platform for electronic devices. In this work, we combine these two features and show that one can drive single photon emitters within a silicon carbide p-i-n-diode. To achieve this, we specifically designed a lateral oriented diode. We find a variety of new color centers emitting non-classical lights in the visible and near-infrared range. One type of emitter can be electrically excited, demonstrating that silicon carbide can act as an ideal platform for electrically controllable single photon sources. Published by AIP Publishing.

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Intracortical neural interfaces (INI) have made impressive progress in recent years but still display questionable long-term reliability. Here, we report on the development and characterization of highly resilient monolithic silicon carbide (SiC) neural devices. SiC is a physically robust, biocompatible, and chemically inert semiconductor. The device support was micromachined from p-type SiC with conductors created from n-type SiC, simultaneously providing electrical isolation through the resulting p-n junction. Electrodes possessed geometric surface area (GSA) varying from 496 to 500 K m(2). Electrical characterization showed high-performance p-n diode behavior, with typical turn-on voltages of 2.3 V and reverse bias leakage below 1 nArms. Current leakage between adjacent electrodes was 7.5 nArms over a voltage range of -50 V to 50 V. The devices interacted electrochemically with a purely capacitive relationship at frequencies less than 10 kHz. Electrode impedance ranged from 675 +/- 130 k (GSA = 496 mu m(2)) to 46.5 +/- 4.80 k (GSA = 500 K mu m(2)). Since the all-SiC devices rely on the integration of only robust and highly compatible SiC material, they offer a promising solution to probe delamination and biological rejection associated with the use of multiple materials used in many current INI devices.

We report on the electrical properties of Al2O3 films grown on 4H-SiC by successive thermal oxidation of thin Al layers at low temperatures (200 degrees C - 300 degrees C). MOS capacitors made using these films contain lower density of interface traps, are more immune to electron injection and exhibit higher breakdown field (5MV/cm) than Al2O3 films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or rapid thermal processing (RTP). Furthermore, the interface state density is significantly lower than in MOS capacitors with nitrided thermal silicon dioxide, grown in N2O, serving as the gate dielectric. Deposition of an additional SiO2 film on the top of the Al2O3 layer increases the breakdown voltage of the MOS capacitors while maintaining low density of interface traps. We examine the origin of negative charges frequently encountered in Al2O3 films grown on SiC and find that these charges consist of trapped electrons which can be released from the Al2O3 layer by depletion bias stress and ultraviolet light exposure. This electron trapping needs to be reduced if Al2O3 is to be used as a gate dielectric in SiC MOS technology. (c) 2018 Author(s).

The carbon vacancy (VC) is perhaps the most prominent point defect in silicon carbide (SiC) and it is an efficient charge carrier lifetime killer in high-purity epitaxial layers of 4H-SiC. The VC concentration needs to be controlled and minimized for optimum materials and device performance, and an approach based on post-growth thermal processing under C-rich ambient conditions is presented. It utilizes thermodynamic equilibration and after heat treatment at 1500 °C for 1 h, the VC concentration is shown to be reduced by a factor ~25 relative to that in as-grown state-of-the-art epi-layers. Concurrently, a considerable enhancement of the carrier lifetime occurs throughout the whole of >40 µm thick epi-layers.

In this study we have grown thick 4H-SiC epitaxial layers with different n-type doping levels in the range 1E15 cm-3 to mid 1E18 cm-3, in order to investigate the influence on carrier lifetime. The epilayers were grown with identical growth conditions except the doping level on comparable substrates, in order to minimize the influence of other parameters than the n-type doping level. We have found a drastic decrease in carrier lifetime with increasing n-type doping level. Epilayers were further characterized with low temperature photoluminescence and deep level transient spectroscopy.

The divacancies in SiC are a family of paramagnetic defects that show promise for quantum communication technologies due to their long-lived electron spin coherence and their optical addressability at near-telecom wavelengths. Nonetheless, a high-fidelity spin-photon interface, which is a crucial prerequisite for such technologies, has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we demonstrate that such an interface exists in isolated divacancies in epitaxial films of 3C-SiC and 4H-SiC. Our data show that divacancies in 4H-SiC have minimal undesirable spin mixing, and that the optical linewidths in our current sample are already similar to those of recent remote entanglement demonstrations in other systems. Moreover, we find that 3C-SiC divacancies have a millisecond Hahn-echo spin coherence time, which is among the longest measured in a naturally isotopic solid. The presence of defects with these properties in a commercial semiconductor that can be heteroepitaxially grown as a thin film on Si shows promise for future quantum networks based on SiC defects.

We report on a very low density (<5×1011 cm-2) of near-interface traps (NITs) at the Al2O3/4H-SiC interface estimated from capacitance-voltage (CV) analysis of MOS capacitors at different temperatures. The aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is grown by repeated deposition and subsequent low temperature (200°C) oxidation for 5 min of thin (1-2 nm) Al layers using a hot plate. We refer to this simple method as hot plate Al2O3. It is observed that the density of NITs is significantly lower in the hot plate Al2O3 samples than in samples with Al2O3 grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 300°C and in reference samples with thermally grown silicon dioxide grown in O2 or N2O ambient.

Neutrally charged divacancies in silicon carbide (SiC) are paramagnetic color centers whose long coherence times and near-telecom operating wavelengths make them promising for scalable quantum communication technologies compatible with existing fiber optic networks. However, local strain inhomogeneity can randomly perturb their optical transition frequencies, which degrades the indistinguishability of photons emitted from separate defects and hinders their coupling to optical cavities. Here, we show that electric fields can be used to tune the optical transition frequencies of single neutral divacancy defects in 4H-SiC over a range of several GHz via the DC Stark effect. The same technique can also control the charge state of the defect on microsecond timescales, which we use to stabilize unstable or non-neutral divacancies into their neutral charge state. Using fluorescence-based charge state detection, we show that both 975 nm and 1130 nm excitation can prepare their neutral charge state with near unity efficiency. (C) 2017 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Abstract SiC has, during the last few years, become increasingly important as a power-device material for high voltage applications. The thick, low-doped voltage-supporting epitaxial layer is normally grown by CVD on 4° off-cut 4H–SiC substrates at a growth rate of 5 – 10 ÎŒ m / h using silane (SiH4) and propane (C3H8) or ethylene (C2H4) as precursors. The concentrations of epitaxial defects and dislocations depend to a large extent on the underlying substrate but can also be influenced by the actual epitaxial growth process. Here we will present a study on the properties of the epitaxial layers grown by a Cl-based technique on an a-axis (90° off-cut from c-direction) 4H–SiC substrate.

The intracortical neural interface (INI) is a key component of brain machine interfaces (BMI) which offer the possibility to restore functions lost by patients due to severe trauma to the central or peripheral nervous system. Unfortunately today’s neural electrodes suffer from a variety of design flaws, mainly the use of non-biocompatible materials based on Si or W with polymer coatings to mask the underlying material. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a semiconductor that has been proven to be highly biocompatible, and this chemically inert, physically robust material system may provide the longevity and reliability needed for the INI community. The design, fabrication, and preliminary testing of a prototype all-SiC planar microelectrode array based on 4H-SiC with an amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) insulator is described. The fabrication of the planar microelectrode was performed utilizing a series of conventional micromachining steps. Preliminary data is presented which shows a proof of concept for an all-SiC microelectrode device.

Using medium- and high-resolution multi-spectra fitting of deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), minority carrier transient spectroscopy (MCTS), optical O-DLTS and optical-electrical (OE)-MCTS measurements, we show that the EH_6∕7 deep level in 4H-SiC is composed of two strongly overlapping, two electron emission processes with thermal activation energies of 1.49 eV and 1.58 eV for EH₆ and 1.48 eV and 1.66 eV for EH₇. The electron emission peaks of EH₇ completely overlap while the emission peaks of EH₆ occur offset at slightly different temperatures in the spectra. OE-MCTS measurements of the hole capture cross section σ_{p 0}(T) in p-type samples reveal a trap-Auger process, whereby hole capture into the defect occupied by two electrons leads to a recombination event and the ejection of the second electron into the conduction band. Values of the hole and electron capture cross sections σ_n(T) and σ_p(T) differ strongly due to the donor like nature of the deep levels and while all σ_n(T) have a negative temperature dependence, the σ_p(T) appear to be temperature independent. Average values at the DLTS measurement temperature (∼600 K) are σ_{n 2}+(T) ≈ 1 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm², σ_n +(T) ≈ 1 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm², and σ_{p 0}(T) ≈ 9 × 10⁻¹⁸ cm² for EH₆ and σ_{n 2}+(T) ≈ 2 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm², σ_n +(T) ≈ 2 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm², σ_{p 0}(T) ≈ 1 × 10⁻²⁰ cm² for EH₇. Since EH₇ has already been identified as a donor transition of the carbon vacancy, we propose that the EH_6∕7 center in total represents the overlapping first and second donor transitions of the carbon vacancy defects on both inequivalent lattice sites.

Over 150 μm thick epilayers of 4H-SiC with long carrier lifetime have been grown with a chlorinated growth process. The carrier lifetime have been determined by time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), the lifetime varies a lot between different areas of the sample. This study investigates the origins of lifetime variations in different regions using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), low temperature photoluminescence (LTPL) and a combination of KOH etching and optical microscopy. From optical microscope images it is shown that the area with the shortest carrier lifetime corresponds to an area with high density of structural defects.

We present a complete analysis of the electron- and hole-capture and -emission processes of the deep levels ON1, ON2a, and ON2b in 4H-SiC and their 6H-SiC counterparts OS1a and OS1b through OS3a and OS3b, which are produced by lifetime enhancement oxidation or implantation and annealing techniques. The modeling is based on a simultaneous numerical fitting of multiple high-resolution capacitance deep-level transient spectroscopy spectra measured with different filling-pulse lengths in n- and p-type material. All defects are found to be double-donor-type positive-U two-level defects with very small hole-capture cross sections, making them recombination centers of low efficiency, in accordance with minority-carrier-lifetime measurements. Their behavior as trapping and weak recombination centers, their large concentrations resulting from the lifetime enhancement oxidations, and their high thermal stability, however, make it advisable to minimize their presence in active regions of devices, for example, the base layer of bipolar junction transistors.

The intracortical neural interface (INI) could be a key component of brain machine interfaces (BMI), devices which offer the possibility of restored physiological neurological functionality for patients suffering from severe trauma to the central or peripheral nervous system. Unfortunately the main components of the INI, microelectrodes, have not shown appropriate long-term reliability due to multiple biological, material, and mechanical issues. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a semiconductor that is completely chemically inert within the physiological environment and can be micromachined using the same methods as with Si microdevices. We are proposing that a SiC material system may provide the improved longevity and reliability for INI devices. The design, fabrication, and preliminary electrical and electrochemical testing of an all-SiC prototype microelectrode array based on 4H-SiC, with an amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) insulator, is described. The fabrication of the planar microelectrode was performed utilizing a series of conventional micromachining steps. Preliminary electrochemical data are presented which show that these prototype electrodes display suitable performance.

4H-SiC epilayers with very smooth surfaces were grown with high growth rates on 4° off-cut substrates using standard silane/propane chemistry. Specular surfaces with RMS values below 0.2 nm are presented for epilayers grown with growth rates up to 30 μm/h using horizontal hot-wall chemical vapor deposition, with up to 100 μm thickness. Optimization of in-situ etching conditions and C/Si ratio are presented.

Epitaxial graphene is grown on semi-insulating (SI) 4H-SiC in a hot wall CVD reactor by graphitization and in-situ intercalation with (H)ydrogen. A holistic material characterization is performed in order to ascertain the number of layers, layer uniformity, and electron transport properties of the epi-layers via electronic test structures and Raman spectroscopy. Bilayer graphene field effect transistors (GFETs) are fabricated using a full electron beam lithography (EBL) process which is optimized for low contact resistances of r(c) less than 0.2 Omega mm. Mobilities of order 2500 cm(2)/V s are achieved on bilayer samples after fabrication. The devices demonstrate high transconductance g(m) = 400 mS/mm and high current density I-ds = 1.8 A/mm. The output conductance at the bias of maximum transconductance is g(ds) = 300 mS/mm. The GFETs demonstrate an extrinsic f(t)(ext) and f(max)(ext) of 20 and 13 GHz, respectively and show 6 dB power gain at 1 GHz in a 50 Omega system, which is the highest reported to date.

Degradation-free ultrahigh-voltage (&gt; 10 kV) PiN diodes using on-axis 4H-SiC with low forward voltage drop (V-F = 3.3 V at 100 A/cm(2)) and low differential on-resistance (R-ON = 3.4 m Omega.cm(2)) are fabricated, measured, and analyzed by device simulation. The devices show stable on-state characteristics over a broad temperature range up to 300 degrees C. They show no breakdown up to 10 kV, i.e., the highest blocking capability for 4H-SiC devices using on-axis to date. The minority carrier lifetime (tau(P)) is measured after epitaxial growth by time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) technique at room temperature. The tau(P) is measured again after device fabrication by open circuit voltage decay (OCVD) up to 500 K.

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