Degradation of the SiGe MMIC LNAs induced by 30 MeV carbon ion irradiation under different bias conditions

The SiGe MMIC Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) model BGU7005, fabricated using NXP Semiconductors' QUBiC4 process, is a high-performance amplifier designed for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) applications. We investigate the impact of 30 MeV C⁵⁺ ions irradiation at a fluence of 1 × 10¹¹ ions cm⁻² on SiGe MMIC LNAs under different conditions. The BGU 7005, operating within 1.5 V–3.1 V voltage supply, was subjected to three conditions: floating, 3V voltage supply, and 3V voltage supply coupled with electromagnetic interference (3V + EMI). The results showed significant post-radiation degradation in key Radio Frequency (RF) parameters. The (3V + EMI) bias condition provides moderate signal transmission and greater stability across the frequencies. However, the floating condition significantly suffers more degradation because of the charge trapping and defect formation. The noise figure (NF) achieves its lowest noise value between 1.5 GHz and 1.6 GHz, beyond 1.6 GHz, radiation exposure increases the noise, particularly affecting the floating and 3V biases. These findings underscore the vulnerability of these devices to radiation-induced damage, particularly in harsh environments. The study highlights that optimized biasing strategies, such as the 3V + EMI condition, are key to mitigating radiation degradation and enhancing LNA reliability in space.