Radiation-induced single event effects in vertically prolonged drain dual gate Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 source TFET

This study investigates the radiation tolerance of a Si_0.5Ge_0.5 source vertical tunnel field effect transistor (VTFET) under heavy ion-induced single event effects (SEEs). Single event effects (SEEs) occur when high-energy particles interact with semiconductor devices, leading to unintended behavior. The effect of high energy ions on the VTFET is examined for various linear energy transfer (LET) values and at multiple ion hit locations. In this study, it is found that the VTFET exhibits a maximum drain current of 277 $\mu \text{A}/\mu \text{m}$ at LET = 10 MeV·cm $_{}^2$ /mg, slightly above the ON-state current of 273 $\mu \text{A}/\mu \text{m}$ indicating minimal susceptibility to radiation-induced perturbations. Analysis revealed that drift-diffusion dominates charge collection, with the tunneling region being the most vulnerable to ion strikes.

Device response was modeled using the Silvaco TCAD framework with an impact ionization model, evaluating a range of linear energy transfer (LET) values and ion hit positions. Key metrics, including transient drain current, charge density, total collected charge, and bipolar gain, were quantified to determine sensitivity. These findings underscore the device's intrinsic robustness and offer valuable insights for the design of radiation-hardened semiconductor components.