Atmospheric Neutron Radiation Response of III–V Binary Compound Semiconductors

Abstract

This article is a first attempt to explore, by simulation, the radiation response of III-V binary compound semiconductors subjected to high-energy atmospheric neutrons. The study focuses on the radiation response of eight III-V materials: GaAs, AlAs, InP, InAs, GaSb, InSb, GaN, and GaP. For each semiconductor, the interaction rates of a bulk material target exposed to a neutron source mimicking the atmospheric neutron spectrum at sea level are evaluated both from a direct calculation using nuclear cross section libraries and by Geant4 simulations. The latter are also used to investigate in detail the reaction rates per type of reaction (elastic, inelastic, and nonelastic) and to classify all of the neutron-induced secondary products considering their atomic number and energy. Implications for single event effects are analyzed and discussed, notably in terms of electrical charge deposited in the material with respect to the critical charge for technologies ranging from 180 to 14 nm.