Reliability study of gallium arsenide transistors

Author

Maurer, R.H. ; Chao, K. ; Nhan, E. ; Benson, R.C. ; Bargeron, C.B.

Author_Institution

Appl. Phys. Lab., Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD, USA

fYear

1990

fDate

20-23 May 1990

Firstpage

670

Abstract

GaAs signal transistors of the MESFET and HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) technologies were evaluated in an accelerated life test to determine their reliability for space-borne applications. It was found that GaAs MESFET technology is sufficiently mature and reliable for space systems, but that the GaAs HEMT technology is not. Secondary electron and source current imaging of an NE 202 HEMT which had failed during life testing show a bright spot indicating a subsurface defect. The effect of this defect is to short the transistor so that it cannot be turned off. It is concluded that the subsurface defect causing failure in the NE 202 HEMT was either a latent defect present originally in the GaAs material or created during the aging test by the thermal runaway/bridging phenomenon

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; Schottky gate field effect transistors; ageing; gallium arsenide; high electron mobility transistors; life testing; reliability; semiconductor device testing; GaAs; HEMT; MESFET; accelerated life test; aging test; latent defect; reliability; signal transistors; source current imaging; space-borne applications; subsurface defect; thermal runaway/bridging phenomenon; Aging; Electrons; Gallium arsenide; HEMTs; Life estimation; Life testing; MESFETs; MODFETs; Materials testing; Space technology;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 1990. ., 40th

Conference_Location

Las Vegas, NV

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ECTC.1990.122261

Filename

122261