Study on total dose radiation effect of γ rays on β-Ga2O3 SBD

Gallium oxide Ga₂O₃ has recently gained attention as a new power electronics semiconductor for aerospace applications. β-Ga₂O₃ has an extremely high bandgap energy of 4.8-4.9 eV and an expected high breakdown field of 8 MV/cm, which exceed those of traditional wide-bandgap semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). These qualities make β-Ga₂O₃ a favorable choice for micro high-power and high-frequency devices. It is important to consider device application in a radiation environment. Due to its wide bandgap and high breakdown field, β- Ga2O3 has significant potential for use in Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) in environments with extremely high radiation. In the radiation environment of space, it is crucial to contemplate the dependability of semiconductor devices in radiation, as alpha particles, gamma rays, heavy ions, X-rays, and other factors could induce single event effects, total ionizing dose effects, and displacement damage effects on semiconductor devices in spacecraft. Therefore, the impact of gamma-ray radiation with a total dose was analyzed on a new SBD device which can tolerate 650 V. The results indicate that radiation has a minor impact on the diode's forward performance. Conversely, the device's reverse electrical properties are significantly impacted by radiation. In addition, we examined the internal physical mechanism of diode performance deterioration triggered by gamma-ray radiation utilizing the outcomes of β-Ga₂O₃ Schottky diode radiation testing and analysis. To characterize the radiation tolerance of this material, studies on irradiation damage are required.