The carbon vacancy (VC) is a major limiting-defect of minority carrier lifetime in n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers and it is readily formed during high temperature processing. In this study, a kinetics model is put forward to address the thermodynamic equilibration of VC, elucidating the possible atomistic mechanisms that control the VC equilibration under C-rich conditions. Frenkel pair generation, injection of carbon interstitials (Ci’s) from the C-rich surface, followed by recombination with VC’s, and diffusion of VC’s towards the surface appear to be the major mechanisms involved. The modelling results show a close agreement with experimental deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) depth profiles of VC after annealing at different temperatures.
