Ion-induced electrical breakdown in metal-oxide-silicon capacitors
- Aracor, 425 Lakeside Drive, Sunnyvale, California 94086 (US)
Metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) capacitors used in the breakdown mode were constructed to detect {sup 252}Cf fission fragments. The physical effects related to radiation-induced breakdown were studied and found to have a relationship to intrinsic dielectric breakdown. Physical studies were made of the effect of oxide annealing temperature between 100 and 400 K, oxide thickness, differing metal electrodes, and the materials interaction due to the spark discharge breakdown. By means of both silicon-ion and cesium-ion implants near the metal-SiO{sub 2} interface of the MOS capacitor, the current emission into the SiO{sub 2} was found to be significantly enhanced; however, the enhanced emission was found to have no effect on increasing the sensitivity to lower specific ionization radiation as seen by fission-fragment detection. The results indicate that the radiation-induced breakdown mechanism occurs within the bulk, or body, of the SiO{sub 2} film and is not influenced by conditions at the dielectric interfaces. It was found that thin films of the refractory metals HfO{sub 2} or ZrO{sub 2} between the oxide film and a top aluminum electrode prevented Al-SiO{sub 2} interaction during discharge and allowed operation of the MOS capacitor at higher electric fields. Obtaining higher operating fields significantly improved the minimum specific ionization detectability to 14 MeV cm{sup 2}/mg from a prior value of 22 MeV cm{sup 2}/ mg.
- OSTI ID:
- 6998073
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics; (USA) Vol. 67:3; ISSN 0021-8979; ISSN JAPIA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANNEALING
BREAKDOWN
CALIFORNIUM 252
CALIFORNIUM ISOTOPES
CAPACITORS
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLISIONS
DECAY
DETECTION
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FISSION
FISSION FRAGMENT DETECTION
HEAT TREATMENTS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ION COLLISIONS
ISOTOPES
LOW TEMPERATURE
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
NUCLEAR DECAY
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
SENSITIVITY
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SPONTANEOUS FISSION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES