Hj. Barnaby et al., Minimizing gain degradation in lateral PNP bipolar junction transistors using gate control, IEEE NUCL S, 46(6), 1999, pp. 1652-1659
Gain degradation in lateral PNP bipolar junction transistors is minimized b
y controlling the potential of a gate terminal deposited above the active b
ase region. Gate biases that deplete the base during radiation exposure est
ablish electric fields in the base oxide that limit the generation of oxide
defects. Conversely, gate biases that accumulate the base during device op
eration suppress gain degradation by decreasing the probability of carrier
recombination with interface states. The results presented in this paper su
ggest that, for gate controlled LPNP transistors designed for operation in
radiation environments, a dynamic control of the gate potential improves th
e transistor's radiation hardness and extend its operating life.