Search

This article investigates the impact of bismuth-heavy ion and high-energy proton irradiation on single-event burnout (SEB) and complete off-state drain-leakage degradation (CO-DLD) in n-channel 115-V-rated vertical-diffused (VD) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Initially, bismuth-heavy ion irradiation experiments are conducted to determine the SEB failure threshold voltage (VSEB). CO-DLD is observed, and it is hypothesized that increased temperatures at the source contact and silicon surface may contribute to this degradation. Subsequent experiments with high-energy proton irradiation aim to examine the role of temperature in CO-DLD, eventually discounting it as a contributing factor. Displacement damage is then identified as the principal cause of CO-DLD, with this hypothesis being corroborated by technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations. The comprehensive analysis of both experiments and simulations concludes that temperature-induced source-contact degradation is not the primary driver of CO-DLD. Instead, displacement damage caused by bismuth-heavy ion and high-energy proton irradiation emerges as the predominant mechanism behind CO-DLD. This finding is significant as both experiments and simulations confirm that displacement damage leads to CO-DLD in VDMOS transistors, shedding light on protecting the VDMOS from degrading.

This letter discusses the impact of total ionizing dose (TID) on the single-event effect (SEE) in n-channel vertical-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (VDMOSFETs). Experiments were conducted involving60Co- $\gamma $ irradiation pre-treatment (CIPT) and krypton-heavy ion irradiation (KHII). Observations indicate that devices previously exposed to TID exhibited increased susceptibility to single-event burnout (SEB). Utilizing the subthreshold mid-gap technique (SMGT) enabled the distinction between interface traps and oxide charges, with their respective roles being analyzed and validated through technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations. The findings indicate that the decrease in the built-in potential ( $\varphi _{\text {B}}$ ) of the N+P junction and the enhanced activation of the inherent parasitic bipolar junction transistor (BJT) are significant contributing factors. This research highlights the critical importance of considering both individual radiation effects and the synergy of multiple effects when employing such devices in aerospace applications.