Coupled radiation effects of swift heavy ions and strong electromagnetic pulses on a SiGe HBT: A TCAD-based simulation

Silicon germanium (SiGe) heterogeneous bipolar transistors (HBTs) in radio-frequency front-end low-noise amplifiers may confront a joint attack from swift heavy ions (SHIs) and strong electromagnetic pluses (EMPs) in complex nuclear and electromagnetic radiation circumstances. Herein, the coupled radiation effects of SHIs and strong EMPs on a SiGe HBT were investigated based on TCAD simulations. The results showed that the simultaneous impact originating from the SHIs and the EMPs could render the SiGe HBT more vulnerable than the impact of either factor alone. As the SHIs and the EMPs acted on the SiGe HBT simultaneously, the thermal effects of the base region were predominant and could finally cause damage to the device. The electron-hole pairs injected by the SHIs increased the lattice temperature and aggravated the thermal burnout dominated by the EMPs. This work may facilitate research on radiation effects of SiGe HBTs in the complex nuclear and electromagnetic radiation environment.