Symptom reliability: S‐parameters evaluation of power laterally diffused‐metal–oxide–semiconductor field‐effect transistor after pulsed‐RF life tests for a radar application

This paper treats the s ‐parameter performance degradation by hot electron induced for N‐MOSFET devices used in radar applications. This study is relevant for devices operating in the RF frequency regime. The power LD‐MOSFET device (0.8 µm channel length, Gate oxide thickness 0.065 µm and 2.2 GHz) are designed and fabricated. Subsequently, life tests in pulsed RF cause, after ageing, the electrical behaviour and its relation with charge trapping at the interface are presented and discussed. Unlike all other current methods, a complete evaluation of S parameters is carried out to obtain key information concerning the defects location. The s ‐parameter performance degradation can be explained by the transconductance and the miller capacitance move, and by the leakage current augmentation IG, which is shown by hot‐carrier event from the Si/SiO 2 interface state generation and/or in a build up of negative charge. Also, the degradation can be predicted by the experimental correlation of RF and dc performance shifts, favour by the measurement of dc performance or initial leakage current. The analysis accompanied proves that the s ‐parameters shift by hot electron induced and should be taken into consideration in the design. Through physical processes of ATLAS‐SILVACO simulations these degradation phenomena are located and confirmed