Correlation between non-ionizing energy loss and production rate of electron trap at EC − (0.12–0.20) eV formed in gallium nitride by various types of radiation

Production rate (PR = trap concentration/incident fluence) of traps formed by energetic particles is important for predicting device degradation caused by radiation when developing radiation-resistant devices. We demonstrate a clear correlation between non-ionizing energy loss (NIEL) and PR of an electron trap at about 0.12–0.20 eV below the conduction band edge [EC − (0.12–0.20) eV] for various types of energetic particles in gallium nitride (GaN). NIEL values in GaN for electrons, protons, and α-rays were calculated using a screened-relativistic treatment, and NIEL values for gamma-rays were calculated by simulating slowed-down spectra due to shielding material. To obtain the PRs of the electron trap, 60Co gamma-rays with an average photon energy of 1.25 MeV and electron beams with energies from 137 keV to 2 MeV were irradiated onto n-type GaN Schottky barrier diodes. We measured the concentration of an electron trap at EC − (0.13–0.14) eV using deep-level transient spectroscopy. We also used the PRs of electron traps with similar energy levels of EC − (0.12–0.20) eV from previous studies on electrons, protons, and α-rays irradiated on GaN. All the trap PRs were proportional to the NIEL in a range of eight orders of magnitude, which confirms that the energy levels formed by various energetic particles have the same origin of being generated by atomic displacements. The obtained relationship coefficient between the NIEL and PRs of the trap is useful for predicting the degradation of GaN-based devices due to traps formed by various kinds of radiation.