SILICON-CARBIDE JFET RADIATION RESPONSE

Total dose and neutron-induced displacement damage effect studies are reported for n-channel, 2-mum channel length, depletion mode junction-field-effect-transistors (JFETs) fabricated on 6H-silicon carbide. Very little effect was observed on device characteristics for total dose ionizing radiation for doses up to 100 Mrads(Si), but the devices were significantly degraded after a neutron fluence of 10(16) n/cm2 A value of 4.5 +/- 0.5 carriers/cm3/neutrons/cm2 was obtained for the carrier removal rate from neutron irradiation. The results offer promise for SiC devices to be used in applications which combine high-temperature and radiation environments, where the use of Si and GaAs technologies is limited.