Particle interaction and displacement damage in silicon devices operated in radiation environments

Abstract

Silicon is used in radiation detectors and electronic devices. Nowadays, these devices achieving submicron technology are parts of integrated circuits of large to very large scale integration (VLSI). Silicon and silicon-based devices are commonly operated in many fields including particle physics experiments, nuclear medicine and space. Some of these fields present adverse radiation environments that may affect the operation of the devices. The particle energy deposition mechanisms by ionization and non-ionization processes are reviewed as well as the radiation-induced damage and its effect on device parameters evolution, depending on particle type, energy and fluence. The temporary or permanent damage inflicted by a single particle (single event effect) to electronic devices or integrated circuits is treated separately from the total ionizing dose (TID) effect for which the accumulated fluence causes degradation and from the displacement damage induced by the non-ionizing energy-loss (NIEL) deposition. Understanding of radiation effects on silicon devices has an impact on their design and allows the prediction of a specific device behaviour when exposed to a radiation field of interest.

Changes in electrical properties of MOS transistor induced by single 14 MeV neutron

“…Under the assumption that hole trapping takes place very close to the SiO 2 /Si interface in an MOS structure irradiated, because the electron-hole created from the breaking of silicon oxygen bonds [2] [3]. This produces the buildup of trapped positive charge in insulator, and trapped negative charge concentrated at the insulator-channel interface [8] [9].…”

“…Today, the importance of this field to the wellbeing of large segments of the population must not be underestimated. As investigation of radiation induced surface effects in bipolar transistor continued, proceeding from studies of gaseous-ion-induced semiconductor surface modification to studies of electronic trapping within SiO 2 /Si surface region, the emphasis switched to metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices [2].…”

Dosimetry experiments at the MEDUSA Facility (Little Mountain).

“…Electrons at this energy have a non-ionizing energy loss in silicon of about 3e-4 MeV/cm 4 . This compares with the ionizing energy loss of about 4.1 MeV/cm, so represents about 10 (Si).…”

Degradation assessment of LYRA after 5 years on orbit - Technology Demonstration -

“…10b with −0.5 % variation for ch 3-4 at 47°C. We suppose the higher signal variation in ch 3-3 should be related to a depletion (bulk) damage caused by solar EUV photons with energies larger than the 21-eV threshold energy needed to create a displacement in Si material [21]. The difference in the degradation mechanism between those two EUV channels are likely related to the higher photon flux in the Al bandpass, i.e., 17 to 40 nm of ch 3-3, which includes the He II 30.4 nm solar emission line, the brightest line after hydrogen (H) Lyman-α.…”