High Gain, High Temperature, Radiation Tolerant, Solar Blind GaN Phototransitor Prepared by Ion Implantation

Implant Sciences Corporation proposes to develop a novel high gain, high temperature solar blind phototransistor design based on ion implanted Gallium Nitride semiconductor material which will meet the demanding performance specifications required for advanced aircraft and space borne applications. The advantages of GaN in these applications are threefold: first, since the atomic bond in GaN is very strong, applications in radiation intensive environments allows for device survivability; second, GaN is a wide band gap material which allows devices to operate in high temperature environments; third/ it is highly sensitive to the W signature of missile propulsion emissions. Our lateral device design features a homoepitaxial GaN bipolar phototransistor with the base, emitter, and collector doped by ion implantation. Key to producing these devices is the p-doping of the base which Implant Sciences has just recently achieved with a proprietary implantation process. Ion implantation allows selective area doping which allows for cost reductions associated with device fabrication. Implanting donor ions in the emitter and collector will also the reduce series resistance associated with this device. Devices will be fabricated, tested, and compared with device results in the literature based on other semiconductor materials. In Phase II we shall optimize the device design and the implantation conditions to produce a device which can deliver highly sensitive solar-blind phototransistors.