Space and terrestrial radiation response of silicon carbide power MOSFETs

Effects of heavy ion, terrestrial neutron and ionizing dose radiation on high voltage silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs are reported along with likely failure modes due to single event effects resulting from heavy ion exposures. The tested SiC power MOSFETs exhibit excellent terrestrial neutron radiation responses with failure in time rates significantly lower than those of comparable silicon power MOSFETs and IGBTs especially near the rated device voltage. The same SiC MOSFETs also exhibit excellent ionizing dose radiation response with threshold voltage shifts significantly lower than those of silicon MOSFETs with similar oxide thicknesses. However the SiC power MOSFETs suffer significantly from heavy ion induced single event effects (SEEs) with sudden failures at high voltages during heavy ion exposure, and post exposure stress induced failures at low and medium voltages.