AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) were irradiated with 2 MeV protons, carbon, oxygen, iron and krypton ions with fluences ranging from 1 × 109 cm−2 to 1 × 1013 cm−2. DC, pulsed I–V characteristics, loadpull and S-parameters of the AlGaN HFET devices were measured before and after irradiation. In parallel, a thick GaN reference layer was also irradiated with the same ions and was characterized by X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, Hall measurements before and after irradiation. Small changes in the device performance were observed after irradiation with carbon and oxygen at a fluence of 5 × 1010 cm−2. Remarkable changes in device characteristics were seen at a fluence of 1 × 1012 cm−2 for carbon, oxygen, iron and krypton irradiation. Similarly, remarkable changes were also observed in the GaN layer for irradiations with fluence of 1 × 1012 cm−2. The results found on devices and on the GaN layer were compared and correlated.
The effect of proton, carbon, oxygen and krypton irradiation on AlGaN HFET devices has been studied. Irradiation was performed at 68 and 120 MeV with fluences in the range from 1 × 10^7 to 1 × 10^13 cm2 . Before and after irradiation, dc and pulsed I – V characteristics, loadpull and S -parameters of the AlGaN HFET devices were measured. A thick GaN reference layer was characterized by x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence and Hall measurements before and after irradiation. Proton, carbon and oxygen irradiation show no degradation in devices while krypton irradiation shows a small change at a fluence of 1 × 10 10 cm2 in the device characteristics. The device results are correlated with the thick GaN results.