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Radiation-induced dopant passivation is evidenced for the first time in partially-depleted SOI n-channel MOSFETs. Isochronal annealing experiments following 10 Mrad(SiO2) irradiation demonstrate that the neutralization of boron atoms in the NMOSFET body is most pronounced in the 125°C-150°C temperature range. This results in an abrupt decrease of the threshold voltage and the subthreshold swing, due to the transition of the body from partial to full depletion. The SO! four-gate transistor, inherently present in the partially-depleted MOSFET structure, is demonstrated to be a very efficient tool for monitoring dopant neutralization through irradiation and annealing. Radiation-induced dopant passivation has important consequences regarding the reliability of short-channel partially-depleted NMOSFETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of total-ionizing-dose irradiation are investigated in HfO2/InGaAs quantum-well MOSFETs. Radiation-induced hole trapping is higher for irradiation under positive gate bias than under negative gate bias. Electrical stress-induced electron trapping compensates radiation-induced hole trapping during positive gate-bias irradiation. Stress-induced hole trapping adds to the effects of radiation-induced hole trapping under negative gate bias. Radiation-induced charge trapping increases with the channel length. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effects of gate length and drain bias on the off-state drain leakage current of irradiated fully-depleted SOI n-channel MOSFETs are reported. The experimental results are interpreted using a model based on the combined effects of band-to-band tunneling (BBT) and the trapped charge in the buried oxide. For negative gate-source voltages, the drain leakage current increases with the drain voltage because the electric field in the gate-to-drain overlap region is increasing. The off-state current in these devices increases with total ionizing dose due to oxide trapped charge build up in the buried oxide, enhanced by the BBT mechanism. The experimental data show that these effects are more significant for devices with shorter gate-lengths. Simulation results suggest that the BBT-generated holes are more likely to drift all the way from the drain to the source in shorter devices, enhancing the drain leakage current, while they tend to tunnel across the gate oxide in longer devices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The total-ionizing-dose (TID) response of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) MOSFETs with Al2O3 gate dielectrics and several channel lengths is evaluated under different biases. DC static characteristics show large negative threshold voltage Vth shifts and subthreshold stretchout (SS), indicating net positive charge trapping in the gate oxide and generation of the interface and border traps. Hysteresis and Id – Vgs measurements from cryogenic to high temperatures show the important role of defects in the Al2O3 gate dielectric to the TID response. Radiation-induced-hole trapping is attributed to oxygen vacancies in the Al2O3. The relatively large hysteresis in these devices is attributed primarily to dangling Al bonds in the near-interfacial Al2O3. Analysis of the temperature dependence of Vth and SS suggests that the rate at which electrons leave the Al2O3 during a positive-to-negative gate-bias sweep is higher than the rate at which they enter during a negative-to-positive gate-bias sweep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability of the solar energetic particle environment is investigated for single-event burnout (SEB) reliability of silicon carbide power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors. A probabilistic assessment of failure evaluates the benefits of derating voltage, shielding, and mission length. The Prediction of Solar particle Yields for Characterizing Integrating Circuits code is used to calculate a cumulative density function for the fluence of the environment. The lethal ion method is then used to determine what proportion of the environment will cause SEB. The operating voltage determines the lowest linear energy transfer (LET) particle that will cause SEB, and that should be included in the environment distribution. The shielding and mission length also determines the final environment distribution of the mission fluence. When the critical LET for a device is relatively low for the expected mission environment, the method in this article can calculate the probability of failure from a destructive event. The calculated probability of failure enables the consideration of part use outside the safe operating area, especially when derating the operating voltage would eliminate the technology advantage of the part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-photon absorption technique is used to understand the mechanisms of single-event effects (SEEs) in silicon carbide power metal–oxide–field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and power junction barrier Schottky diodes. The MOSFETs and diodes have similar structures enabling the identification of effects associated specifically with the parasitic bipolar structure that is present in the MOSFETs, but not the diodes. The collected charge in the diodes varies only with laser depth, whereas it varies with depth and lateral position in the MOSFETs. Optical simulations demonstrate that the variations in collected charge observed are from the semiconductor device structure and not from metal/passivation-induced reflection. The difference in the spatial dependence of collected charge between the MOSFET and diode is explained by bipolar amplification of the charge carriers in the MOSFETs. Technology computer-aided design (TCAD) device simulations extend this analysis to heavy-ion-induced charge collection. In addition, there is discussion comparing this analysis with experimental results from prior works that show enhanced charge collection resulting from heavy-ion irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy ion-induced single-event burnout (SEB) is investigated in high-voltage silicon carbide power MOSFETs. Experimental data for 1200-V SiC power MOSFETs show a significant decrease in SEB onset voltage for particle linear energy transfers greater than 10 MeV/cm2/mg, above which the SEB threshold voltage is nearly constant at half of the rated maximum operating voltage for these devices. TCAD simulations show a parasitic bipolar junction transistor turn-on mechanism, which drives the avalanching of carriers and leads to runaway drain current, resulting in SEB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation response of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) gate oxides is typically insensitive to true dose-rate effects, but damage in deep-sub-micrometer technologies is dominated by ionization mechanisms in thick isolation oxides surrounding the transistors. Recent results in 65-nm FETs demonstrated that performance degradation in ultrahigh total ionizing dose (TID) experiments is due to defects in the isolation shallow trench isolation oxide or in the materials composing the lightly doped drain spacers. These insulators are thick, deposited, and crossed by a low electric field, characteristics similar to those typical of passivation oxides in linear bipolar technologies for which an enhanced low-dose-rate sensitivity (ELDRS) has been observed and systematically studied. We report in this paper the clear evidence of a dose-rate sensitivity of the TID-induced damage in both 130- and 65-nm CMOS technologies exposed to different radiation sources (X-rays and $\gamma $ -rays from a 60Co source). This sensitivity is attributed to mechanisms similar to those explaining ELDRS in bipolar devices and represents a significant challenge to the definition of a qualification procedure for circuits to be used in extreme radiation environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge collection mechanisms are investigated in surface channel GaAs MOSFETs under broadbeam heavy ion irradiation and pulsed two-photon-absorption laser irradiation. The large barrier between the gate dielectric and GaAs eliminates gate conduction current, but there is significant gate displacement current. Charge enhancement occurs because radiation-generated holes accumulate in the substrate, which increases the local electrostatic potential. The increased potential enhances the source-to-drain current, resulting in excess collected charge. The collected charge increases significantly with gate bias, due to the long tails of the charge waveforms that occur for higher gate bias. The collected charge increases with increasing drain bias. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Single-event transients in SiGe MOS devices with ultrathin quantum well channels have been shown in previous work to exhibit opposite polarities for source and drain strikes. This work reports polarity reversal in similar devices with thick Ge channels due to the favorability of prompt hole collection by either the source or drain region, depending on the strike location. A slower charge-collection mechanism is also present due to the n-well/p-substrate structure, which allows ion-generated carriers from the substrate to flood the body of the device. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new geometry-aware single-event enabled compact model for sub-50 nm partially depleted silicon-on-insulator MOSFETs is presented. The model extends the bias-dependent single-event modeling methods with an integrated parasitic BJT using the SPICE Gummel Poon equations and parameters derived from the manufacturer’s process design kit, physical layout, and technology information. The model compares well with TCAD and test data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-event-transient response of InGaAs MOSFETs exposed to heavy-ion and laser irradiations is investigated. The large barrier between the gate oxide and semiconductor regions effectively suppresses the gate transients compared with other types of III-V FETs. After the initial radiation-induced pulse, electrons and holes flood into the channel region at short time. The electrons are collected efficiently at the drain. The slower moving holes accumulate in the channel and source access region and modulate the source-channel barrier, which provides a pathway for transient source-to-drain current lasting for a few nanoseconds. The peak drain transient current reaches its maximum when the gate bias is near threshold and decreases considerably toward inversion and slightly toward depletion and accumulation. Two-dimensional TCAD simulations are used to understand the charge collection mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The total-dose response of Ge p-MOSFETs and p+-n junction diodes is reported for devices fabricated with several process variations. Radiation-induced reduction of the on-off current ratio increases with halo-doping density. Increasing the number of Si monolayers at the substrate/dielectric interface reduces total-dose sensitivity for p-MOSFETs. Reduced mobility degradation is observed after irradiation for devices with a higher number of Si monolayers. The radiation-induced increase in junction leakage is related to the increasing perimeter component of the leakage current. MOSFETs with a higher number of Si monolayers at the dielectric/substrate interface also have reduced perimeter leakage current. Diode leakage current increases with increasing halo-doping density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation-induced charge trapping and mobility degradation are measured on uniaxially stressed HfO2-based nMOSFETs. Controlled external mechanical stress is applied via a four-point bending jig while the samples are irradiated using 10-keV X-rays. Positive charge trapping is observed for unstressed devices, and for devices irradiated under both compressive and tensile stress. Reduced trapped charge is measured as the uniaxial stress level increases. These results suggest that the increased stress leads to a reconfiguration of defect microstructure, as compared to the unstressed devices. The reconfiguration consists of changes in bond lengths and angles and a corresponding change in trap energy levels, which can (1) reduce the probability that a defect can capture holes, (2) increase the probability for electron and trapped-hole recombination, and/or (3) increase the mobility of the transporting holes in the oxides of the devices that are irradiated under stress. These results show that increased mechanical stress in high-k dielectrics does not degrade their radiation hardness. We also observe that the post-irradiation channel mobility degrades less in uniaxially stressed devices than unstressed devices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]