Radiation-Hardened Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> MOSFET Design Featuring NiO Heterojunction and Comb-Shaped Gate Modulation

GAO Sheng; ZHANG Lin; WU Yanjun; WANG Qi; JING Liang

doi:10.11999/JEIT260396

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GAO Sheng, ZHANG Lin, WU Yanjun, WANG Qi, JING Liang. Radiation-Hardened Ga2O3 MOSFET Design Featuring NiO Heterojunction and Comb-Shaped Gate Modulation[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT260396

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GAO Sheng, ZHANG Lin, WU Yanjun, WANG Qi, JING Liang. Radiation-Hardened Ga₂O₃ MOSFET Design Featuring NiO Heterojunction and Comb-Shaped Gate Modulation[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT260396

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Radiation-Hardened Ga₂O₃ MOSFET Design Featuring NiO Heterojunction and Comb-Shaped Gate Modulation

doi: 10.11999/JEIT260396 cstr: 32379.14.JEIT260396

GAO Sheng^{1, 2
,
,},
ZHANG Lin¹,
WU Yanjun¹,
WANG Qi¹,
JING Liang²

1.
School of Integrated Circuits, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
2.
China Resources Microelectronics (Chongqing) Limited, Chongqing 400030, China

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (62404026)

Received Date: 2026-04-07
Accepted Date: 2026-07-03
Rev Recd Date: 2026-07-03

Available Online: 2026-07-12

Abstract

Abstract

Objective Gallium Oxide Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (Ga₂O₃ MOSFET) is regarded as a promising power device for high-voltage applications, particularly in aerospace and satellite power systems, because of its ultra-wide bandgap and high critical breakdown field. However, the Conventional MOSFET (C-MOSFET) exhibits limited reliability in space radiation environments. Under off-state conditions, the electric field is highly concentrated near the gate edge. Heavy-ion irradiation generates dense electron-hole pairs along the ion track. Driven by the intense electric field, these carriers undergo avalanche multiplication through impact ionization, causing the drain current to increase sharply without recovery and ultimately leading to irreversible Single-Event Burnout (SEB) at relatively low drain bias. This failure mechanism severely limits the application of Ga₂O₃ MOSFETs in harsh radiation environments. Furthermore, the lack of reliable and efficient p-type doping restricts the implementation of conventional radiation-hardening techniques, including junction termination extension and junction isolation. Therefore, ionization-induced carriers readily accumulate in sensitive regions, increasing susceptibility to Single-Event Effect (SEE). The extremely low thermal conductivity of Ga₂O₃ further promotes local heat accumulation following heavy-ion irradiation, producing localized hot spots that increase the likelihood of thermal burnout. Existing hardening approaches, including field-plate optimization and dielectric engineering, provide only limited improvement. Moreover, the application of heterojunction structures for radiation hardening has rarely been investigated, and systematic hardening strategies have not yet been established. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a Comb-Shaped Gate Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (CSG-MOSFET) incorporating a NiO heterojunction. The proposed structure redistributes the channel electric field, suppresses electric-field crowding at the conventional gate edge, and significantly improves SEB tolerance, providing an effective solution for Ga₂O₃ power devices operating in harsh radiation environments. Methods Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) simulations are performed to evaluate the electrical characteristics and SEB performance of the proposed CSG-MOSFET in comparison with the C-MOSFET. The simulations incorporate high-field mobility, Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, Auger recombination, impact ionization, and heavy-ion models. Based on the charge-compensation effect of the p-NiO/n-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction, the proposed structure utilizes the extended depletion region formed at the heterointerface to redistribute the channel electric field. This heterojunction-induced depletion region improves electric-field uniformity and enhances SEB tolerance. Furthermore, the comb-shaped gate columns, operating together with the extended gate field plate, relocate the peak electric field away from the conventional gate edge, suppress local electric-field crowding, and improve device reliability under high-voltage and radiation conditions. Results and Discussions Simulation results demonstrate that the optimized Double Comb-Shaped Gate MOSFET (DCSG-MOSFET) significantly improves radiation hardness compared with the C-MOSFET. The SEB Threshold Voltage (VSEB) increases from 240 V to 2 280 V, while the Breakdown Voltage (BV) increases from 2 000 V to 3 500 V. Meanwhile, the specific on-resistance decreases. Therefore, the Baliga Figure of Merit (BFOM) and the SEB-based figure of merit are substantially improved. The NiO heterojunction and comb-shaped gate columns effectively redistribute the electric field, shifting the peak electric field from the conventional gate edge to the outer gate-column edge and suppressing local electric-field crowding. These improvements substantially enhance the radiation hardness of the device. Conclusions A radiation-hardened DCSG-MOSFET incorporating a NiO heterojunction is proposed and evaluated using TCAD simulations. The optimized structure significantly improves SEB tolerance while maintaining excellent electrical performance. Compared with the C-MOSFET, both VSEB and BV are substantially increased, demonstrating enhanced blocking capability. Charge compensation at the p-NiO/n-Ga2O3 heterojunction forms an extended depletion region that effectively redistributes the channel electric field and suppresses electric-field crowding near the conventional gate edge. Furthermore, the comb-shaped gate columns, operating together with the extended gate field plate, relocate the peak electric field to the outermost gate-column edge, thereby suppressing impact ionization induced by heavy-ion irradiation and effectively mitigating SEB. The reduced specific on-resistance further improves the BFOM and the SEB-based figure of merit. These results demonstrate that the proposed DCSG-MOSFET is a promising candidate for power electronic applications in harsh radiation environments, including aerospace and satellite systems.

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References(17)

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