Neutron Radiation-Induced Failure Rate of 650 V Lateral GaN Power Devices

Power semiconductors made from Gallium Nitride hold great potential for demanding applications for example in aircraft power electronic systems. Here, the design needs to consider device failure due to cosmic ray, where neutrons are the most critical particles. In contrast to Silicon and Silicon Carbide devices, failure data of Gallium Nitride transistors are not widely available. In this paper, the failure rate of Gallium Nitride transistors with a rated voltage of 650 V was determined by accelerated neutron irradiation and compared to Silicon Carbide devices. For Gallium Nitride, failures could only be observed at voltages above the rated voltage and close to the breakdown voltage, demonstrating the great potential of Gallium Nitride devices, considering the current device technologies.