Electrical characterization of Co-60 gamma radiation-exposed InAlN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

Abstract

In0.17Al0.83N/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were cumulatively subjected to Co-60 gamma-ray irradiation doses up to 500 Mrad. Source-drain current-voltage characteristics (I-DS-V-DS) showed little change after lower dose gamma-ray irradiations (< 200 Mrad). However, the electrical properties were significantly degraded after 500 Mrad irradiations, indicating that the radiation-induced damage near the active region of the devices was severe. The saturation current level at V-GS = 0V was degraded by 48% after 500 Mrad irradiation. The effective carrier removal rate was not linear with dose, but was 0.54 x 10(10) cm(-2) Mrad(-1) in the range from 200 to 500 Mrad. The cumulative gamma-ray irradiation of In0.17Al0.83N/GaN HEMTs caused much larger reductions in drain-source current compared to AlGaN/GaN devices exposed under the same conditions. (C) 2013 American Vacuum Society.