Effects of 1 MeV electron radiation on the AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

In this study, the effects of 1 MeV electron radiation on the D-mode GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were investigated after different radiation doses. The changes in electrical properties of the device were obtained, and the related physical mechanisms were analyzed. It indicated that under the radiation dose of 5 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻², the channel current cannot be completely pinched off even if the negative gate voltage was lower than the threshold voltage, and the gate leakage current increased significantly. The emission microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the damage location. Besides, the radiation dose was adjusted ranging from 5 × 10¹² to 1 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻², and we noticed that the drain−source current increased and the threshold voltage presented slightly negative shift. By calculations, it suggested that the carrier density and electron mobility gradually increased. It provided a reference for the development of device radiation reinforcement technology.