Effect of alpha-particle irradiation dose on SiN_x/AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator semiconductor high electron mobility transistors

The effects of 18 MeV alpha particle irradiation dose on the electrical properties of SiN_x/AlGaN/GaN metal insulator semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MISHEMTs) using in situ grown silicon nitride as the gate dielectric were investigated. The MISHEMT devices were irradiated with alpha particles at doses of 1 × 10¹² or 1 × 10¹³ cm^-2 at a fixed energy of 18 MeV. Device performance degradation was more prominent for the irradiated samples under high frequency operation. At a frequency of 100 kHz and gate voltage pulsed from -6 to 3 V, the saturation drain current reduction was 32% and 41% after alpha irradiation doses of 1 × 10¹² and 1 × 10¹³ cm^-2, respectively. The drain current reduction at 100 kHz also depended on the duty cycle. At higher duty cycles, the drain current reduction was less severe. The calculated carrier removal rates were in the range of 2062-2175 cm^-1 for the alpha doses studied. The results demonstrate the capability of AlGaN/GaN MISHEMTs in environments where resilience to radiation is required.