Mechanism of Degradation Rate on the Irradiated Double-Polysilicon Self-Aligned Bipolar Transistor

The latent enhanced low dose rate sensitivity (ELDRS) effect is observed in the double-polysilicon self-aligned (DPSA) technology PNP bipolar junction transistor (BJT) irradiated with a high and low dose rate gamma ray, which is discussed from the perspective of the three-stage degradation rate of the excess base current. The great degradation rate as a result of the high dose irradiation of the first stage is dominantly ascribed to the positive oxide trap charges accumulated during a short irradiation, and then due to the competition between the recombination of electrons and capture of the hole by the traps. It declined sharply into a degradation rate saturated region of the second stage. However, for the low dose rate, the small increase in the degradation rate in the first stage is caused by the holes escaping from the initial recombination and being transported to the interface to form the interface states. Then, the competition between the steadily increasing interfacial trap charge and the continuously annealed shallow level oxide trap charge leads to the stable increase of degradation under low dose irradiation. Finally, in stage three, the increases of the degradation rates for high and low dose irradiation result from the different amounts of the hydrogen molecules generated by the hole reactive with depassiviated Si suspended bonds, which can interact with the deep level defects and release protons, causing an increase of interfacial trap charges with prolonged irradiation.