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Neutron radiation effects in GaAs MESFET power amplifiers

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6260235

1 x 500 and 1 x 1200 ..mu..m gate dimension power GaAs MESFETs were used to fabricate narrow band (500 MHz bandwidth) microwave power amplifiers which were characterized at low frequencies (dc and 1 MHz) and microwave frequencies (S-band). Power amplifiers were subjected to fast neutron fluences of 4 x 10/sup 14/ to 1.4 x 10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/ and the degradation in the device and the amplifier characteristics were measured and analyzed. The bias and input power dependence of intermodulation distortion in power amplifiers was analyzed, and showed the relative importance of various device nonlinearities. A model for third order intermodulation distortion, IM/sub 3/ in microwave power amplifiers was developed based on non-linearities in device g/sub m/, C/sub gs/ and G/sub 0/ measured using low frequency techniques. The model explained the measured bias dependence of IM/sub 3/ which showed a minimum in IM/sub 3/ as V/sub GS/ was varied. The model also indicated that the g/sub 0/ nonlinearity dominates at high V/sub GS/ bias and g/sub m/ a low V/sub GS/ bias. Power amplifiers showed an increase in the V/sub GS/ bias corresponding to minimum IM/sub 3/, after neutron irradiation. Based on these measurements, various techniques for improving the neutron tolerence of power MESFET amplifiers are suggested.

Research Organization:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (USA)
OSTI ID:
6260235
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

440200* -- Radiation Effects on Instrument Components
Instruments
or Electronic Systems
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AMPLIFIERS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
BARYONS
DATA
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FAST NEUTRONS
FERMIONS
FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HADRONS
INFORMATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NEUTRONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PNICTIDES
POWER AMPLIFIERS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
TRANSISTORS