Features of degradation in high-voltage 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes under the action of forward current pulses

Degradation in silicon carbide based p-i-n diodes under the action of a forward current in a pulsed regime has been studied for the first time. It is established that, at current pulse durations below several milliseconds, the extent of degradation is much smaller than that in the dc regime for the same total charge transferred through the diode structure. The partial self-recovery (decrease in the extent of degradation with the time) of the diode structures at room temperature was also observed for the first time.