<i>M</i> center in 4 <i>H</i> -SiC is a carbon self-interstitial

The list of semiconductor materials with spectroscopically fingerprinted self-interstitials is very short. M-center in 4H-SiC, a bistable defect responsible for family electron traps, has been deprived model which could unveil its real importance almost two decades. Using advanced first-principles calculations and junction spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the properties M, including bistability, annealing, reconfiguration kinetics, electronic levels, match those carbon self-interstitial.