Rapid degradation of WSi self-aligned gate GaAs MESFET by hot carrier effect

Abstract

Rapid degradation of GaAs self-aligned gate MESFETs (SAGFETs) by hot carriers was observed. The degradation rate was found to depend on the type of passivation film on the GaAs surface. SAGFETs with SiN passivation were found to have higher resistance to degradation than SAGFETs with SiO/sub 2/ passivation. The results suggest that the interface between the GaAs surface and the passivation film must be considered in any model for the degradation mechanism.<>