SiC Detector for Sub-MeV Alpha Spectrometry

4H-SiC silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes, with a 25 mu m thick n-type epitaxial active layer and a very thin front electrode contact are studied and proposed for the detection of low energetic ions. For a first evaluation of the detection properties of the SiC detectors, a standard alpha emitting radiation source was used obtaining an energy resolution of 0.85% at 5.15 MeV energy. Then the devices were employed to monitor low energetic alpha particles. From these tests it was found that the 4H-SiC diodes are able to monitor the alpha particles backscattered by different single and multilayers metallic targets (Au, Ag, Cu on Si substrates) in the energy range between 300 keV and 600 keV. In this energy range a linear energy response and a good energy resolution, close to those of a traditional commercial silicon detector, were obtained. The possibility to use these detectors for material analysis and for plasma monitoring is also discussed.