Silicon carbide FETs for high temperature nuclear environments

Abstract

SiC transistors can operate at very high temperatures and survive very high radiation doses. These characteristics make SiC potentially the ideal technology for nuclear power applications. In this paper we report, for the first time, on the active in-core irradiation of 6H-SiC depletion-mode junction field-effect transistors (IFETs) at 25/spl deg/ and 300/spl deg/C in a nuclear reactor operated at 200 kW. No significant degradation in the device characteristics was observed until the total neutron fluence exceeded 10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/ for irradiation at 25/spl deg/C, and no significant changes were observed even at 5/spl times/10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/ at 300/spl deg/C. The results of this experiment may also indicate exciting evidence for the anneal of neutron displacement damage for devices irradiated at 300/spl deg/C.