PREDICTION OF LOW DOSE-RATE EFFECTS IN POWER METAL-OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTORS BASED ON ISOCHRONAL ANNEALING MEASUREMENTS

A method for predicting the long term behavior of semiconductor device s in the low dose-rate ionizing-radiation space environment is present ed. The operating conditions related to this environment are briefly r eviewed. The new method consists of three major steps. The first step is the determination of the trap characteristics using the experimenta l recording of an isochronal annealing curve. The second step is the p rediction of the isothermal annealing behavior deduced from the experi mentally deduced trap characteristics. This approach makes it possible to avoid time-consuming isothermal measurements. As trapping and detr apping processes are independent, combining both processes by convolut ion, the last step, allows prediction of low dose-rate effects. Up to now, this accelerated characterization method has not been applied to electronic devices. An experimental application of the model to predic t the long term behavior of a typical metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is given and the results, as well as the validity an d the limitations of the model, are discussed. (C) 1997 American Insti tute of Physics.