Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This work was supported by the United States Atomic Energy Commission.
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
154 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, DECEMBER 1967
transistor. The latter section presents quantita- Boundary conditions are imposed at the device
tive predictions of several radiation effects which contacts by introducing the appropriate restric-
have been mentioned in conjunction with experi- tions in Equations (3) through (5). For example,
mental device studies. base and collector current boundary conditions
for an NPN transistor are introduced by requiring
II. Mathematical Representation that (5) is equal to the collector current density at
and Solution Techniques the collector contact and (4) has a discontinuity
equal to the base current density at a position
The electrical characteristics of a semi- corresponding to the base contact. Voltage bound-
conductor device can be predicted theoretically ary conditions are imposed by requiring that the
by solving the equations describing the charge integral of E(x, t) over the interval between the
transport in the device subject to boundary condi- two contacts equals the applied voltage. In addi-
tions imposed by the device geometry at the elec- tion, the electric field at the two end contacts is
trical contacts. In general, the solution of the assumed to be zero. Initial values for the hole
transport equations yields the hole and electron and electron densities are either furnished by the
distributions as well as the electric field intensity analyst or are given by the quiescent zero bias
throughout the device. These distributions are solution, i.e., the solution when
then used to calculate the terminal voltages and
currents as a function of time.
an
oJdn are now used in the program, almost any type of
point function could be used to approximate the
2)
at '5n
q dx ~~~~~~~~(2 mobility and generation-recombination properties
of the material.
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
GWYN et al.: RADIATION EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION DEVICES 155
-Vtt (N - PA NT)
gpdl = vt c(PNNT P1 NT) (6)
and a third equation describing the net rate at and the net trapped charge q(NT - NT) is used in
which electronic charge accumulates on the center Poisson's equation.
-9
gndl
+ g
gpdl*() ~~~~~~~(8)holes and electrons at equal rates. In the latter
case, the generation rates in silicon are related
to the absorbed energy by the relation
If the center is an acceptor (i. e., it can capture
an electron and become negatively charged), the
charge density -qNt is entered in Poisson's equa-
tion to account for the space charge of the trapped gpR = gnR = 4.03 x 10 [rad(Si) - cm /s]
carriers. However, if the center is a donor,
then the net positive charge q(Nt - Nt) is entered
in (3). The impact ionization rates are strongly depend-
ent upon the electric field intensity and the hole
and electron current densities. These generation
terms4 are given by
Similarly, the equations for the two-level
model are
I g= qn (E)Jn + a (E)J] (cm 3/s)
g pd2 =
-vtPp(cNT + CT NT) where an(E) and ap(E) are given by the relations
gnd2 =
-Vtn (NT n T)
an (E) = 2.4 x 10 exp (-1.6 x 10 /E) . (14)
+vtnIonNn + a Nn 1) (10)
vtn\ nTlD n T1A; These expressions were synthesized to fit the
impact ionization data obtained by Lee, 7
Chynoweth, 8 and Moll and Van Overstraeten. 9
dNt
dE -vtnf(nNT nlD T) Mobility Expressions
In most analysis work, the mobility of holes
and electrons is considered to be constant. How-
+v °(pN N)
N+ p (11)
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
156 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, DECEMBER 1967
For small electric fields and ionized im - Laboratories for the analysis of the IMPATT
purity densities, lattice scattering is the domin- diode15' 16 and subsequently modified to treat the
ant mobility-limiting mechanism. 10 However, if three-terminal device case.
an appreciable density of ionized impurities
exists, electrons and holes can be scattered by The structure to be analyzed is first sub-
the coulomb potential surrounding the impuri- divided into a number of small increments. The
ties. 11 This additional scattering mechanism equations are then normalized to reduce redund-
causes the effective mobility to decrease with ant coefficient calculations, and standard differ-
increasing impurity density. Furthermore, the ence approximations are used to approximate the
hole and electron mobilities are strongly depend- spatial derivatives in Poisson's equation and the
ent upon the electric field intensity. 12 For high continuity equations for each increment or mesh
field intensities the carriers can gain sufficient point:
energy between scattering events to appreciably
increase their average energy or temperature. [1J JT
At this higher energy, interactions with the lattice
(N) (M ) (M l)j/A (17)
become more probable and the mobility is reduced
in such a way that the carrier drift velocity
approaches a limiting value.. dn(N) g(N) [J(M)
1)lkx, (18)
Jn(M
=
dt n [n n ; P0
The experimental mobility data given by
Backenstoss, 13 Prince, 14 and Prior can be
approximated by the following expressions: E(M) - E(M - 1) KF(N' - N)+ N)
x LPn1 D
u n [* 81 NDt Dt + 3. 24 x 1018)
n gnoL N (N) +ENi (N)]
(1 9)
exp [E(M)Ax]
Solution Procedures
n(N+ 1) (Nl+1)
Because of the nonlinearities in the equations J(M) = E(M)110
[-E(M)Ax])
describing the hole, electron, and field distribu-
tions, obtaining a transient or even a steady-state
d. c. solution poses a very difficult numerical
problem. The solution techniques used here were, n(N)pn (N) 1
for the most part, developed at Bell Telephone 1. 0 - exp [E (M)Ax] . (21)
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
GWYN et al.: RADIATION EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION DEVICES 157
These equations provide numerically stable esti- unity is used for d. c. solutions where large time
mates of the current density under all conditions; steps and rapid convergence are required.
if the intermesh point voltage is small, these
equations approach the standard difference rela- Emission Crowding Analysis
tions, whereas when the voltage change is large,
they approach the drift current density at either In a realistic transistor structure, the base
mesh point N or N + 1. current originating in the transition and bulk base
regions flows laterally under the emitter and pro-
Both steady-state and transient solutions duces a gradient in the emitter junction voltage.
are obtained by employing a standard implicit At high bias levels, this voltage gradient is large,
integration method. 17 By recursively substitut- and therefore, the emitter current density at the
ing (19) into (20) and (21), and then substituting emitter perimeter is much larger than the density
these expressions into (17) and (18), the field at the center of the emitter. Thus, most of the
variable at each mesh point can be eliminated. emitter current flows through a small fraction of
The continuity equations for each mesh point can the total emitter area, and high injection phenom-
then be written symbolically in the matrix form ena become important even though the average
emitter current density is relatively low.
av (r) r
(23 b) Lbe bL be (r)127rdr
F(Z o , t) + aFAz+ aaFAt+ S)r
I
277r J
P[v(r)I [v
1Trr (25)
0 8Z aSt
If the higher order terms in the Taylor series where the base sheet resistivity is assumed to be
are negligible, (23) can be solved for AZ to dependent upon the injection level or vbe(r).
obtain
After the emitter voltage distribution vbe(r)
has been calculated, the total base and collector
current can be determined from the equations
AZ=/At- aF
az
) z +a
a t
St
(2 4)
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
158 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, DECEMBER 1967
the transit time for these devices is relatively Function of Reverse Bias Voltage
short compared to the carrier lifetimes normally
found in noncompensated high resistivity mate-
rials, recombination does not play a major role
in determining the radiation response and is
frequently neglected. However, for complete-
ness, a hole lifetime of about 100 us was intro-
duced in the x7 region by including a density of
1013/cm3 gold centers. Trapping was not
considered.
When the PIN diode is reverse biased, a
depletion region forms at the N+77 junction and
extends into the Tn region. By solving Poisson's
equation and the continuity equations throughout . .R .O .D
. .T
this device, the variation of the electric field and FRACTIONAL DISTANCE
hole density with position and applied bias voltage Figure 2B. Electric Field Distribution in a PIN
can be obtained. These solutions, which are Diode as a Function of Reverse Bias
shown in Figures 2A and 2B, indicate that the Voltage
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
GWYN et al.: RADIATION EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION DEVICES 159
0
Steady-State Analysis. In a low-level z
w
steady-state ionization field, the holes and elec-
z
trons produced by radiation are rapidly swept
across the 17 region by the large electric field. -J
w
Consequently, the density of free carriers is
kept small and the net space charge produced by i-L
these carriers does not appreciably alter the ()
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
160 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, DECEMBER 1967
0 2 3 4 5
TIME (ns)
When the assumed structure is exposed to
a 0. 5 ns, 6. 25 rad(Si) radiation pulse, the com-
puted time evolution of the hole, electron, and Figure 4. Ideal Transient Photocurrent Response
electric field distributions in the 77 region is as for a 3004 Fully Depleted PIN Diode
shown in Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C, respectively.
10 I I1016
109 SEC
.......6 x 10-9 SEC 109 SEC
-I x 10-9 SECC_ IT SEC
-2 x104 SEC 109 SEC
-__-5 x I0" SEC |I
5
x
IT"
10-9 SEC
x 10-9 SEC
SEC
d4 j*14 |77
A. .. .1.
z ~~~~~~~~~~~z
a ~~~~~~~~0
10 Ii
w
I~~cr
2 .4 .6 .8 .4 .6 .8
FRACTIONAL DISTANCE FRACTIONAL DISTANCE FRACTIONAL DISTANCE
Figure 5A. Hole Distribution Figure 5B. Electron Distribu- Figure 5C. Electric Field Dis-
in a PIN Diode at tion in a PIN Diode tribution in a PIN
Several Times at Several Times Diode at Several
Times
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
GWYN et al.: RADIATION EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION DEVICES
Immediately after the pulse, the excess carrier swept from the 7i region is becoming smaller. At
density and the electric field are essentially uni- about 5 ns, the carrier peaks shown in Figures
form throughout the 77 region. However, as time 5A and 5B are established and contain a stored
evolves, the holes drift to the right, depleting the charge which is proportional to the area between
region near the N+ contact of holes and producing the two transient waveforms in Figure 6. Note
the observed decrease in the hole density at the that the "tail" or delayed photocurrent resulting
7TN+ junction. Similarly, the motion of electrons from the collection of the carriers which form
away from the P+ region produces a correspond- these peaks is now quite large and is decaying
ing decrease in the electron density at the 7IP+ very slowly. For the case shown here, this de-
junction. As the carriers are swept out of the 7T layed component contains approximately one-
region near the junctions, a space charge region fourth of the total charge collected; however, both
forms and alters the electric field distribution as the relative magnitude and the collection time of
indicated in Figure 5C; i. e., the field in the cen- this component increase with increasing dose or
tral portion of the 17 region decreases while the dose rate.
field at each junction increases in order to main-
tain a constant voltage across the device. As a From the above analysis, it can be seen that
result of the change in the field distribution, the the general characteristics of PIN diodes can be
drift velocity of carriers in the center of the 77 predicted readily with the analysis program.
region is decreased markedly while the velocity Although no experimental data are presented,
of carriers near the junctions is increased. Thus, experience with devices of the type analyzed con-
the carrier densities near the junctions decrease firms the depletion characteristics shown in Fig-
with time while the density near the center re- ure 2 and the predicted collection efficiency.
mains virtually unchanged. After 5. 0 ns, a time Furthermore, the transient waveform predicted
which exceeds the normal carrier transit times, for small doses agrees very well with the pulse
approximately one-quarter of the carriers pro- shape expected from classical analysis.
duced by the radiation pulse has not been collect-
ed. Ultimately, recombination, diffusion, and The most significant result presented in this
the small field still remaining in the central section is the prediction that significant field col-
region erode the peak in the carrier distribution, lapse occurs at steady-state dose rates of 109
and the carrier densities return to their depleted rad(Si)/s (Figure 3) and for prompt doses of only
value s. 6 rad(Si) (see Figures 5 and 6). Although this pre-
diction has not been verified experimentally, it
The effect of the transient electric field col- casts serious doubt on the utility of diodes of this
lapse on the photocurrent waveform can be infer- thickness as high-intensity, fast-response radia-
red from the above discussion. In contrast to the tion detectors. Certainly the presence of the long
low dose case, the hole and electron distributions delayed photocurrent component shown in Figure 6
indicate that a significant fraction of the radiation- and the fact that the relative amplitude of this
induced carriers remain at times longer than a component increases with increasing dose rate
normal transit time. It is clear therefore that the detracts significantly from the 4 ns time resolution
photocurrent during the first few nanoseconds expected on the basis of classical analysis.
after an intense radiation pulse must be propor-
tionately less than in the low dose case and a
change in waveform must exist. This difference
in photocurrent waveform is shown in Figure 6
which is a plot of normalized photocurrent versus
time for the ionization pulse shape shown in the
insert and peak ionization rates of (a) 2. 5 x 108
and (b) 2.5 x 1010 rad(Si)/s. Note that in case (a)
the current waveform is essentially triangular, as
predicted by Brown, and in addition, a small
'itail" exists for at least 10 ns. This delayed cur-
rent is caused by the collection of minority car-
riers from the N+ and P+ regions and can be mini-
mized by reducing the depth of these regions. In
contrast, however, the waveform for case (b)
shows a more rapid decay in the 1 to 2 ns region TIME (ns)
because in this time domain the electric field in
the center of the device is decreasing rapidly; and, Figure 6. Transient Photocurrent Response of a
therefore, the rate at which free carriers are PIN Diode at Two Ionization Levels
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
162 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, DECEMBER 1967
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
GWYN et al.: RADIATION EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION DEVICES 16 3
after the ionization pulse terminates and then de- The effect discussed above is very evident
cays exponentially with time. The calculated in Figures 9A and 9B which show the secondary
emitter and collector contributions to primary and primary photocurrent waveforms for the 0. 5
photocurrent are shown in Figure 8B. The mag- rad(Si) case. Figure 9B shows that as the collec-
nitude and waveshape of the collector component tor current increases (e.g., at 60 ns) there is a
are again consistent with classical predictions. corresponding increase in the collector primary
Note also that the emitter component amplitude is photocurrent. The instability discussed above is
only one-quarter that of the collector component evidenced by the fact that in the time interval prior
and tends to zero very rapidly. Consequently, the to the collector current peak, the collector cur-
frequently used assumption that this component is rent increases at an increasing rate; i.e., the col-
negligibly small is valid for this case. lector current waveform is concave upward.
After 90 ns, a large fraction of the excess collec-
When the dose is increased from 0.05 to tor minority carriers have either recombined or
0. 5 rad(Si), however, many of the common as- been swept into the base region and the unstable
sumptions, such as the charge neutrality of the buildup can no longer be sustained. Consequently,
collector and base regions, are no longer valid the primary current and, subsequently, the col-
and substantial deviations from the classical lector current begin to decay toward their quies-
waveforms are observed. For prompt doses of cent values.
the order of 0. 5 rad(Si), the collector photocurrent
is many times larger than the quiescent bias cur- Typically, the transient radiation models
rent and substantial electric fields are produced used in large scale circuit analysis programs do
in the bulk collector region. These fields are in not consider this regenerative mechanism and
the direction to cause minority collector carriers simply assume that the collector primary photo-
to drift toward the collector junction where they current waveform is constant. A comparison of
contribute to the primary photocurrent. Thus, as Figures 8B and 9B shows very clearly that this
the collector current increases toward its peak assumption is not necessarily valid since the pri-
value, there is a corresponding increase in the mary photocurrent waveform changes radically as
electric field and, therefore, the collector com- the dose is increased. Moreover, the secondary
ponent of primary photocurrent. Since the pri- photocurrent data indicate that a dose change of a
mary photocurrent is a majority current in the factor of 10 causes the peak secondary photocur-
base, this increase in primary photocurrent fur- rent to increase by a factor of 20. This super-
ther increases the collector current, the electric linear dependence of peak collector current on
field, primary photocurrent, etc.; that is, the dose is a direct result of the collector regenera-
coupling between the primary and secondary tion process, and therefore, it is not predicted by
photo current is regenerative. This regenerative the usual Ebers-Moll22 or charge control23 device
process gives rise to an unstable buildup of col- model. In order to predict this effect, it is neces-
lector current which is ultimately quenched by sary to employ a more exact model which includes
recombination or depletion of excess minority coupling between the primary and secondary
carriers from the collector region. photocurrents. This refinement can be obtained
32
30
26
e 24
2
2 l l l
0C
"0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200
TIME (ns)
Figure 9A. Secondary Photocurrent Versus Figure 9B. Primary and Secondary Photocurrent
Time for a Dose of 0. 5 rad(Si) Versus Time for a Dose of 0. 5
rad (Si)
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
164 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, DECEMBER 1967
either by using a multilump Linvill model24 or progress has been made toward modeling the elec-
by adding the appropriate corrections to the trical properties of point defects and, to a lesser
Ebers-Moll model. degree, cluster defects in silicon and germanium.
Although it would be premature to claim that the
The response of the assumed transistor to accuracy of these recombination and trapping
a large (5. 0 rad(Si)) dose of ionizing radiation is models is sufficient for accurate device analysis,
shown in Figure 10. In this case, the photocur- some of the important bulk properties of the semi-
rents are very large and the device is driven into conductor, e.g., lifetime, have been successfully
a saturated condition. In the saturated state, the described in terms of single- and double-level
collector current density is limited primarily by Shockley-Hall-Read models, and therefore, it is
the bias voltage to collector bulk resistivity ratio appropriate to determine which, if any, of the
and is essentially constant throughout the satura- observed properties of irradiated semiconductor
tion period. After approximately 0. 6 s45, the devices can be predicted directly from such
primary photocurrent decays to a value where it models.
can no longer hold the transistor in the saturated
state and the secondary photocurrent decays to its
quiescent value.
Displacement Damage 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
DISTANCE MICRONS
In addition to transient analyses, a second
major use of the device analysis program is for Figure 11. Hole Discrimination at Several Times
the prediction of displacement damage effects in After a Prompt Exposure of 5. 0
devices. During the last few years, significant rad(Si)
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
GWYN et al.: RADIATION EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION DEVICES 165
The device used for this analysis is a sili- The emission-crowding correction discussed ear-
con NPN double-diffused epitaxial transistor with lier was applied to predict collector and base cur-
the doping profile shown in Figure 12. The doping rent density versus base emitter voltage charac-
profile has been selected to match the junction teristics for the case when the base-collector
depths, base sheet resistivity, and collector voltage is zero.
resistivity of the epitaxial 2N914 device. The
general shape of the doping profile was determined The experimental and predicted data for a
from the theoretical shape of the diffusion proces- typical 2N914 device are shown in Figures 13 and
ses used in the device fabrication. 14, respectively. A comparison between these
figures indicates reasonable correlation between
Recombination in the unirradiated device is experiment and theory. The predicted collector
modeled by a two-level SRH model. Since the current curve has the proper slope and emission-
experimental devices used in the study were gold crowding bendaway. However, the predicted val-
doped, a background density of 2. 5 x 1014 gold ues are approximately a factor of two less than
centers per cm3 was assumed. Donor and accept- the measured values, presumably because of un-
or energy levelsof 0.54 and 0.35 eV above the certainties in the emitter and/or base-doping
valence band and capture cross-sections of 1. 7 x levels. The predicted preirradiation base current
10-16, 1.1 x 10-14, 6.3 x 10-15, and 2.4 x 10-15 is consistent with the predicted collector current
cm2 for electron and hole capture on the donor in that it has the correct curve shape but it also is
and acceptor levels25 were used to determine the low by a factor of two. This agreement is about
recombination properties of the gold center. as expected because of uncertainties in the doping
26 profile, the gold cross-section and density para-
Messenger has described recombination meters, and the possible errors introduced by
in neutron-irradiated materials by using two neglecting the emitter-base space charge recom-
single-level SRH models: an acceptor level loca- bination at or near the surface.
ted 0. 41 eV above the valence band and a donor
level located 0. 31 eV below the conduction band. After neutron irradiation, there is again
These centers have hole and electron capture general agreement in the curve shapes. Except
rates of 0.68 x 10-5 and 0.76 x 10-6 and 0. 37 x for the enhanced emission-crowding deviations,
10-6 and 0.40 x 10-5 s-l per incident neutron/ both predicted and experimental collector current
cm2 (E > 0.01 MeV). curves are essentially the same as in the
10-2
In
w
0o-3
w
a-
2 10-4
0
z
10-5
H
10-6
10-7
107
0-0lo_
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0.15 0.25 0.35 045 0.55 0.65 0.75 085
DISTANCE (MICRONS) VBE (VOLTS)
Figure 12. Impurity Doping Profile for the Figure 13. Base and Collector Current as a
2N914 Transistor Function of Base-Emitter Voltage
(Experimental)
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
166 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, DECEMBER 1967
preirradiated case. The predicted base current Since these data indicate general agreement
curve has the same general shape as the experi- between theory and experiment, there is reason
mental curve and approximately the correct to look more closely at the calculated behavior
amplitude. The predicted change in base current and draw tentative conclusions concerning the
density at a base-emitter voltage of 0. 5 volt and relative importance of specific damage mechan-
a neutron fluence of 5 x 1013/cm-2 is about 5 x isms. Rather than examine the total base cur-
10-3 mA/cm2. This value is almost exactly the rent, it is instructive to examine the recombina-
same as the value obtained by Goben and Smits27 tion current in each major region of the device.
and agrees reasonably with the value of 3 x 10-3 For the discussion here, four base current com-
mA/cm2 obtained from Figure 13. Also note that ponents are considered: (1) the back injection of
in the low current regime, the neutron-induced holes into the emitter region, (2) recombination
change in base current predicted on the basis of in the emitter transition region, (3) recombina-
the Messenger model is approximately character- tion in the bulk base region, and (4) recombina-
ized by an expression of the form tion in the collector transition or Kirk region2 8 2 9
The latter component becomes important at high
injection levels where the carriers in transit
AIb(Vbe)= K exp (
Vbb) through the collector transition region become
more dense than the net impurity concentration
and the effective collector junction moves into the
where K is approximately 1. 3 x 10o22a and is '
collector region.
1. 4. It should be noted that these values are also
in agreement with the values of 3. 3 x 10-22a and The predicted magnitude and bias dependence
1. 5 measured by Goben and Smits. 27 of these four components in the case of a 5. 0 x
1013 cm-2 fluence are shown in Figure 15. As
At the higher current levels, the predicted postulated by Goben and Smits, recombination in
and measured data both evidence similar "bendaway" the emitter transition region dominates at low
characteristics which result from high injection current levels and has a voltage dependence of
and emission-crowding effects. The relative im- approximately exp (qVbe/l. 4 kT) over most of the
portance of these two effects is shown in Figure
14 by the comparison of the predicted character-
istic prior to the emission-crowding correction
(the dotted curves) and the fully corrected curve.
I 0 9 FE
,o-
-2
10. ---PREIRRADIATED ,
5_ x _ Otnvt , --
-3
to
/ ,-
& -4 COLLECTORLE
CURRENT
-§ 10-
-5 //
BASE CURRENT
z~ _
HX106
10-
Figure 14. Predicted Base and Collector Current Figure 15. Predicted Base Current Components
as a Function of Base-Emitter Versus Base-Emitter Voltage
Voltage
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
GWYN et al.: RADIATION EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION DEVICES 167
bias range. Components 1 and 3, which are due displacement damage calculations predict that in
to recombination in the bulk emitter and base the 2N914 device both transition region recom-
regions, have an ideal Boltman voltage dependence bination and Kirk effect are the dominant gain
of exp (qVbe/kT) and, although small at low cur- degradation mechanisms. Naturally this result
rent levels, become significant for base-emitter is based upon the lifetime model assumed and is
voltages of the order of 0. 7 volt. Note also that subject to considerable error. However, the
the component due to recombination in the Kirk agreement between the experimental and calcula-
region, component 4, increases very rapidly at ted device characteristics is very good and lends
high current levels and is dominant for currents a measure of credibility to the predictions.
in excess of about 70 mA. The magnitude of this
component is enhanced by having a collector-base There are clearly many additional applica-
voltage of zero volts, but even for nominal bias tions for analysis programs of this type. The
levels this component is significant at current radiation characteristics of the silicon-controlled
densities of the order of 1000 A/cm2. Although rectifier, the silicon-controlled switch, and the
devices do not normally operate at this high level, standard diode could be predicted with no altera-
emission crowding is greatly enhanced by dis- tions of the program. The junction FET could
placement damage, and after irradiation such also be analyzed by using the program to predict
densities are achieved around the emitter peri- the depletion characteristic of a section of the
phery at reasonably low bias levels. channel. In addition, the program computes the
small signal parameters and can be used direct-
On the basis of these calculations, one would ly to predict junction capacitance and other para-
conclude that recombination in the emitter transi- meters required for the more approximate de-
tion region and the Kirk region are the dominant vice models used in circuit analysis applications.
damage mechanisms, while bulk base recombina-
tion and emitter efficiency play secondary roles.
However, it should be recognized that these con-
clusions are strongly dependent upon the lifetime Appendix I
models assumed. These models are based upon
the characteristics of bulk silicon and could be Definition of Symbols
grossly in error in space charge regions where
p, n Hole and electron concentration (cm )
there are large fields and small carrier densi-
ties. This possibility could easily account for the E Electric field intensity (volts/cm)
small discrepancies found in this analysis. q Electronic charge (1.602 x 10 coulombs)
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
168 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, DECEMBER 1967
Vtp, Vtn Thermal velocity of holes and electrons (cm/s) 3. J. A. Hood, "Predicting the Current Gain
Hole and electron concentrations in the conduction band
Degradation in NPN Silicon Transistors
Pi, n1 when the Fermi level coincides with the energy level of After Irradiation by High-Energy Neu-
the single level trap trons, " Sandia Corporation Report,
P1A' nIA Hole and electron concentrations in the conduction band SC-TM-64-69, 1964.
when the Fermi level coincides with the acceptor trap
energy level (cm-3)
4. J. L. Moll, Physics of Semiconductors,
PlD' n1D Hole and electron concentrations in the conduction band
when the Fermi level coincides with the donor trap energy
McGraw -Hill, 1964.
level (cm-3)
Base-emitter voltage (volts)
5. W. Shockley and W. T. Read, Jr., "Sta-
Vbe tistics of the Recombinations of Holes and
Ib Base current (amperes) Electrons," Phys. Rev. Vol. 87, No. 5,
Ie Emitter current (amperes) Sept. 1, 1952.
Ic (amperes)
6. W. Shockley and J. T. Last, "Sta-
P(V be) Base sheet resistivity as a function of base-emitter tistics of the Charge Distribution for a
voltage (ohms) Localized Flaw in a Semiconductor, "
r Radius (cm) Phys. Rev., Vol. 107, No. 2, July 15,
Rc Radius of emitter
1957.
K Damage constant (amperes/cm2) (neutrons/cm2 7. C. A. Lee, R. A. Logan, R. L. Batdorf,
0 Neutron fluence J. J. Kleimack, and W. Wiegmann, "Ion-
exp(qVhkT) ization Rates of Holes and Electrons in
r7 Slope correction constant used in the function
Silicon,," Phys. Rev., Vol. 134, No. 3A,
y Energy deposition rate (rad(Si)/s) pp. A761-A773, May 4, 1964.
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
GWYN et al.: RADIATION EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION DEVICES 169
Authorized licensed use limited to: ULAKBIM UASL - Bilkent University. Downloaded on November 07,2022 at 13:07:13 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.