Durability of Low-Temperature Deuterium Annealing Against Ionizing Radiation in MOSFETs

Ionizing radiation-induced damage not only immediately degrades the quality of a gate dielectric, but also causes ongoing damage over time. This work proposes low-temperature deuterium annealing (LTDA) to minimize the damages from total ionizing dose (TID). In particular, the durability provided by the LTDA against TID was quantitatively investigated for the first time. In detail, poly-Si channel MOSFETs were fabricated and exposed to
$\gamma $
-rays. Electrical characterizations after irradiation were repeatedly conducted over time. This made it possible to estimate the duration of enhanced performance provided by LTDA in radiation environments, confirming its use for applications in space, medical equipment, and the military.