Electrical Characterization of the Operational Amplifier Consisting of 4H-SiC MOSFETs after Gamma Irradiation

The operational amplifier (op-amp) with high gamma irradiation capability of over 30 kGy have been fabricated by 4H-SiC MOSFETs for measuring instruments which are installed in nuclear power plants. The chip size was 0.7 mm x 1.0 mm, and they consisted of five n-channel MOSFETs and three p-channel MOSFETs on the same die. The output waveform after having irradiated 50 kGy at a rate of 60 Gy/hr was amplified without distortion. On the other hand, the offset voltage became unstable when gamma integral dose was beyond 30 kGy and it at 50 kGy increased to +7.2 mV. For reduction of gamma irradiation influence, we proposed the MOSFETs structure which has field plate (FP) electrodes connected to isolation layer electrically. We indicated that the proposal device had the potential of gamma irradiation capability of 100 kGy experimentally.