About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2025
|
| Symposium
|
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2025
|
| Presentation Title |
Cavity Formation Induced by Swift Heavy Ion (SHI) Irradiation in AlxGaN |
| Author(s) |
Mahjabin Mahfuz, Miaomiao Jin, Xing Wang, Rongming Chu, Maik Lang, Michael Snure |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Mahjabin Mahfuz |
| Abstract Scope |
AlGaN - GaN HEMTs (High-Electron-Mobility Transistors) are among the most promising candidates for next-generation semiconductor devices in radiation environments. This study investigates the microstructure damage in AlGaN materials under 950 MeV Au ion irradiation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals nanometer-sized cavities in the irradiated AlxGa1-xN (x=0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) and GaN layers, with minimal amorphization. An increase in Al concentration appears to suppress cavity formation. Additionally, compositional analysis reveals element intermixing between AlxGa1-xN and GaN layers post irradiation. Finally, the track density is estimated and our results suggest that a single Au ion can generate cavity tracks, indicating that even low-fluence SHI irradiation can cause significant damage in these devices. These phenomena may interfere with higher carrier concentration and higher mobility, resulting in performance degradation. Meanwhile, the observed suppression of cavity formation with increasing Al content suggests potential pathways to enhance the radiation tolerance of AlGaN-GaN HEMTs. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |