Quantum enhanced electric field mapping within semiconductor devices

Semiconductor components based on silicon carbide (SiC) are a key component for high-power electronics. Their behavior is determined by the interplay of charges and electric fields, which is typically described by modeling and simulations that are calibrated by nonlocal electric properties. So far, there are no experimental methods that allow for the 3D mapping of both the electric field and the concentrations of free charge carriers inside an electronic device. To fulfill this information gap, we propose an operando method that utilizes single silicon vacancy (V_Si) centers in 4H-SiC. The V_Si centers are at various positions in the intrinsic region of a pin-diode. The excellent spin and optical properties of V_Si centers [1-3] allow to perform Stark shift measurements based on photoluminescence excitation (PLE). Our measurements reveal the expansion of the depletion zone and therefore enable to determine the local concentration of dopants. Besides this, we show that our measurements can be used to additionally obtain the local concentration of free charge carriers. The method presented here therefore paves the way for a new quantum-enhanced electronic device technology, capable of mapping the interplay of mobile charges and electric fields in a working semiconductor device with nanometer precision.

[1] Nagy, R. et al. High-fidelity spin and optical control of single silicon-vacancy centres in silicon carbide. Nat. Commun. 10, 1954 (2019)

[2] Nagy, R. et al. Narrow inhomogeneous distribution of spin-active emitters in silicon carbide. Appl. Phys. Lett. 118, 144003 (2021).

[3] Nagy, R. et al. Quantum Properties of Dichroic Silicon Vacancies in Silicon Carbide. Phys. Rev. Appl. 9, 034022 (2018).