Temperature-Dependent Dynamic on Resistance in Gamma-Irradiated AlGaN/GaN Power HEMTs

Abstract

Dynamic RON is a key parameter in terms of device reliability and the efficiency of power-switching converters. In this study, commercial off-the-shelf GaN-on-Si power high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) were irradiated using different regimes of accumulative gamma rays with a 60Co source of photon energy (1.33 MeV), while a base temperature of 53 °C and 133 °C during the irradiation test was applied. This test campaign had the objective of investigating how the combination of gamma irradiation and temperature affects dynamic on-resistance (RON) behaviour. The results indicated that gate voltage bias stress affected the degradation of dynamic on-resistance when irradiation was applied, and that temperature was an accelerating factor in dynamic on-resistance degradation. Finally, we obtained a partial reduction in dynamic RON when a total ionising dose of around 140 krad(SiO2) was applied and the base temperature during the irradiation test was not high.

Keywords

• high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT)
• gallium nitride (GaN)
• radiation hardness
• assurance testing
• radiation effects
• total ionising dose (TID)