Radiation-resistant Silicon-on-insulator MOSFETs Realized by Neutron Irradiation.

A novel partially depleted (PD) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure is realized by a modified process flow highlighting the improved radiation hardness. The key step to modifying the initial SOI wafers is neutron irradiation, followed by a standard post-irradiation laser annealing process that introduces localized traps with a deep level. The deep-level traps in the silicon film act as recombination centers that reduce the minority carrier lifetime effectively. A trap-rich layer is generated near the back interface after the wafer is exposed to neutron irradiation, followed by laser annealing to remove top defects. It is confirmed by simulation and experimental results that the body potential instability in PD devices, which may be introduced by high-electricalfield ionization and the single-event effect, has been efficiently suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]