The Effects of Transient Radiation on GaAs Schottky Diode FET Logic Circuits

GaAs integrated circuits are presently under evaluation to determine their suitability in applications requiring performance in high radiation environments. A GaAs digital integrated circuit of MSI complexity, implemented with Schottky Diode FET Logic (SDFL) was exposed to transient ionizing radiation, ranging from 1 × 108 to 2 × 1010 rads/s. Under optimal bias conditions, the circuit was undisturbed by dose rates as high as 1 × 1010 rads/s. The perturbation in the circuits' performance at high dose rates is explained, and methods of improving the ability of the circuit to perform in high radiation environments are proposed.