Characterization of gallium nitride microsystems within radiation and high-temperature environments

New milestones in space exploration can be realized through the development of radiation-hardened, temperature-tolerant materials, sensors and electronics. This enables lightweight systems (reduced packaging requirements) with increased operation lifetimes. Gallium nitride (GaN) is a ceramic, semiconductor material that is stable within high-radiation, high-temperature and chemically corrosive environments. Recently, this material platform has been utilized to realize sensors and electronics for operation under extreme harsh conditions. These devices exploit the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed at the interface between AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, which is used as the material platform in high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). In this paper, a review of the advancements in GaN manufacturing technology such as the growth of epitaxially deposited thin films, micromachining techniques and high-temperature metallization is presented. In addition, the compelling results of fabricating and operating micro-scale GaNbased sensors within radiation environments and at elevated temperatures are shown. The paper will close with future directions GaN-based microsystems technology for down-hole, propulsion and space exploration applications.