Effects of neutron irradiation on GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors

Conference · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA)

OSTI ID:7029187

Song, Y; Kim, M E; Oki, A K; Hafizi, M E; Murlin, W D; Camou, J B; Kobayashi, K W ^[1]

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1. TRW, Inc., Redondo Beach, CA (US)

This paper reports the effects of neutron irradiation on 3 {mu}m emitter, self-aligned base ohmic metal GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors and ICs based on molecular beam epitaxy experimentally and and a low {beta} exhibited higher sensitivity to neutron irradiation than those with low {beta}. At 1.3 {times} 10{sup 14} n/cm{sup 2}, dc {beta} was degraded by 25 percent for high {beta} devices and by 7 percent for low {beta} devices. Parasitic base current components such as the emitter edge recombination seem to be the key factor determining the neutron sensitivity. The functional dependence of {beta} on neutron fluence seems to follow the Messenger-Spratt relation, manifested by a linear increase of the base current with fluence. No deteriorations were seen either in transistor RF characteristic or in digital circuit high speed performance due to neutron irradiation up to a fluence of 1.3 {times} 10{sup 14} n/cm{sup 2}.

• OSTI ID: 7029187
• Report Number(s): CONF-890723--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA) Journal Volume: 36:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360605 -- Materials-- Radiation Effects
440200* -- Radiation Effects on Instrument Components
Instruments
or Electronic Systems
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
654003 -- Radiation & Shielding Physics-- Neutron Interactions with Matter
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DATA
DIGITAL SYSTEMS
DISLOCATIONS
EDGE DISLOCATIONS
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HARDENING
HETEROJUNCTIONS
INFORMATION
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
IRRADIATION
JUNCTION TRANSISTORS
JUNCTIONS
LINE DEFECTS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
NEUTRAL-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
NEUTRON TRANSPORT
NUMERICAL DATA
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PNICTIDES
QUALITY ASSURANCE
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION HARDENING
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RADIOSENSITIVITY
RECOMBINATION
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
TRANSISTORS