Silicon carbide (SiC) is a compound semiconductor, which is considered as a possible alternative to silicon for particles and photons detection. Its characteristics make it very promising for the next generation of nuclear and particle physics experiments at high beam luminosity. Silicon Carbide detectors for Intense Luminosity Investigations and Applications (SiCILIA) is a project starting as a collaboration between the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and IMM-CNR, aiming at the realization of innovative detection systems based on SiC. In this paper, we discuss the main features of silicon carbide as a material and its potential application in the field of particles and photons detectors, the project structure and the strategies used for the prototype realization, and the first results concerning prototype production and their performance.

The evolution of the structural and electrical properties of $\mathrm{Ni}∕\mathrm{Ti}∕\mathrm{Si}\mathrm{C}$ Schottky contacts upon thermal treatments was investigated. The samples were prepared by sequentially evaporating titanium and nickel layers onto silicon carbide (6H-SiC) substrates and were annealed in vacuum in the temperature range $400–650°\mathrm{C}$ . Above $450°\mathrm{C}$ a solid state reaction sets in, giving rise to the formation of nickel silicides (i.e., ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{31}{\mathrm{Si}}_{12}$ and ${\mathrm{Ni}}_2\mathrm{Si}$ ). During reaction, by increasing annealing temperatures, the electrical characteristics of the contacts showed an increase of the Schottky barrier, along with a decrease of the device leakage current. An inversion of this trend was observed at around $600°\mathrm{C}$ , which can be attributed to the inhomogeneity of the nickel silicide/SiC barrier. The scenario of the reaction of the $\mathrm{Ni}∕\mathrm{Ti}∕\mathrm{Si}\mathrm{C}$ system is presented. The physical information obtained from the study of this bilayer can be extremely important in the control of the electrical properties of Schottky barriers for advanced devices on SiC.