Single event burnout failures caused in silicon and silicon carbide power devices by single alpha particles emitted from radioactive nuclides

In this paper it is shown experimentally that single alpha particles emitted from radioactive sources can produce Single Event Burnout failures in silicon and silicon carbide power devices at blocking bias levels below 90 % of the breakdown voltage. Silicon carbide devices have been shown to be more susceptible than Si devices because of the enhanced strength of the electric field and of the thinner depletion layer. TCAD simulation is used to model the initiation of the streamers and the subsequent thermal runaway.