Radiation Resistance of Test npn IC Transistors with Dielectric Insulation, Manufactured on Silicon, Isovalently Doped with Germanium (SiGe)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20535/RADAP.2023.91.72-78

Keywords:

increase of radiation resistance, npn structure, doping of silicon with germanium, doping level with isovalent impurity, degradation of the amplification factor

Abstract

There is a contradictory assessment of the possibility of germanium (Ge) use to increase the radiation resistance of silicon (Si) homogeneously doped with an isovalent impurity. A number of publications show that only a limited effect of germanium doping on the radiation stability of the pn-structure, irradiated by high-energy electronsis observed. Simultaneously there is a noticeable improvement in the radiation resistance of npnp-structures made on SiGe under γ-irradiation. In order to remove the contradiction, this work compares the β radiation degradation of test bipolar transistor npn Integrated Curcuit (IC) structures, manufactured using the same technology, "silicon with dielectric insulation", on isovalent germanium-doped SiGe silicon with different Ge content, NGe=1,2·1019…1,2·1020 cm-3. The static gain coefficient β was measured before and after α-irradiation. Irradiation of unencased npn structures with α-particles with an energy of 4.5 MeV carried out in a specially designed and manufactured laboratory installation using radioisotope sources; npn structures with two base thicknesses: 0.25 and 0.35 μm were studied experimentally. The dependence approximating the experimental data, β(Φα), an equation, describing the change in the gain factor of the transistor structure upon α-irradiation, obtained using the OriginPRO program. Obtained results for structures with a base thickness of 0.25 μm show a strong nonlinear dependence of β(Φα) equations on NGe. The degradation of the control transistors gain, manufactured according to the standard technology (NGe = 0) is described by the S-curve. Irradiation of npn structures formed on SiGe wafers with different levels of doping with an isovalent impurity leads to a complete change of the nature of the dependence. For  Φα ≤ 1011 см-2 the nature of the change in β is practically the same for structures made on wafers with NGe= 0 and NGe= 2.5·1019 сm-3, as well as for NGe=1,2·1019 сm-3 and NGe=1.2·1020сm-3. When increasing Φα≥ 1011 сm-2 there is an accelerated degradation of the gain factor of npn structures made on wafers with NGe= 2.5·1019 cm-3. This level of doping of silicon with germanium is not acceptable from the point of view of Si radiation resistance. At Φα ≤ 1014 см-2 radiation stability of npn structures made on SiGe wafers with NGe=1.2·1019 см-3 approximately two times lower than the same of control structures with NGe= 0. For transistors with a base thickness of 0.35 μm, no effect of changing the nature of the npn structures β(Φα) degradation. Observed dependence, which confirms the possibility of slowing down the radiation degradation of the amplification factor value of the npn structures made on SiGe. Increase in radiation resistance by 2-3 times for test transistors, made on SiGe wafers, doped with NGe= 7,5·1019 см-3, observed  in a wide range of doses of α-irradiation,  1011≤ Φα≤ 1014 см-2.

Author Biographies

S. V. Bytkin , Engineering Institute of Zaporizhzhia National University, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

к. т. н., доцент кафедри електроніки, інформаційних систем та програмного забезпечення, здобувач

T. V. Krytskaja , Engineering Institute of Zaporizhzhia National University, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

д. т. н., проф., завідувачка кафедри електроніки, інформаційних систем та програмного забезпечення

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Published

2023-03-30

How to Cite

Биткін , С. В. and Критська , Т. В. (2023) “Radiation Resistance of Test npn IC Transistors with Dielectric Insulation, Manufactured on Silicon, Isovalently Doped with Germanium (SiGe)”, Visnyk NTUU KPI Seriia - Radiotekhnika Radioaparatobuduvannia, (91), pp. 72-78. doi: 10.20535/RADAP.2023.91.72-78.

Issue

Section

Functional Electronics. Micro- and Nanoelectronic Technology