High-temperature electronics applications are found in combustion systems, well logging, industrial processes, air stagnation points in supersonic aircraft, vehicle brakes, nuclear reactors, and dense electronic packages. We summarize physical effects and materials issues important for reliable operation of semiconductor device technologies at high temperatures (> 125° C). We review the high-temperature potential of Si, GaAs, other III-V compounds, and SiC. For completeness, we also comment on nitrides, diamond, and vacuum microelectronics. We conclude that Si on insulator (SOI) technology can be developed readily for small signal operation up to about 300° C. There is some ongoing work in this area. GaAs offers little advantage over Si because of poor device isolation and the lack of reliable contacts above 250° C

An overview of high-temperature electronic device technologies and potential applications

The design of CMOS analog integrated circuits to be operated at elevated junction temperatures is discussed. Considerations which have successfully been implemented in the design of basic analog cells for operation over the 25°-250°C range are emphasized. Simple models arc presented along with the temperature dependencies of key design parameters. These models and high-temperature trends represent sufficient information for first-order hand analysis prior to computeraided design.

Design Consideration in High Temperature Analog CMOS Integrated Circuits

High-temperature electronics applications are found in combustion systems, well logging, and industrial processes, air stagnation points in supersonic aircraft, vehicle brakes, nuclear reactors, and dense electronic packages. We summarize physical effects and materials issues important for reliable operation of semiconductor device technologies at high temperatures (>125/spl deg/C). We review the high-temperature potential of Si, GaAs, other III-V compounds, and SiC. For completeness, we also comment on nitrides, diamond, and vacuum microelectronics. We conclude that Si on insulator (SOI) technology can be developed readily for small signal operation up to about 300/spl deg/C. There is some ongoing work in this area. GaAs offers little advantage over Si because of poor device isolation and the lack of reliable contacts above 250/spl deg/C. Other III-V compounds could be developed for operation to /spl sim/600/spl deg/C, using processes similar to those used for optoelectronics. There may be a market niche for III-V power devices above 200/spl deg/C. There is considerable activity in semiconducting SiC, and device functionality has been demonstrated above 600/spl deg/C. SiC is promising for operation above 300/spl deg/C, and for power devices at frequencies from dc to /spl sim/10 GHz, but it faces numerous challenges to achieve manufacturable status. We attempt to match technologies with application areas. >

The authors performed a study to determine whether silicon very large-scale integrated circuits (VLSICs) can survive the high temperature (up to 300 degrees C) and total-dose radiation environments (up to 10 Mrad over a 7-10-y system life) projected for a very-high power space nuclear reactor platform. It is shown that circuits built on bulk epitaxial silicon cannot meet the temperature requirement because of excessive junction leakage currents. However, circuits built on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) material can meet both the radiation and temperature requirements. It is also found that the temperature dependence of the threshold voltage of the SOI transistors is less than that of bulk transistors. Survivability of high-temperature SOI VLSICs in space, including immunity to transient and single-event upset, is also addressed. >

High-temperature silicon-on-insulator electronics for space nuclear power systems: requirements and feasibility

Electrical characteristics of large scale integration (LSI) MOSFETs at very high temperatures part I: Theory

Results of detailed investigations of the performance and reliability of digital bipolar and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits over the 25-340°C range are reported. Included in these results are both parametric variation information and analysis of the functional failure mechanisms. Although most of the work was done using commercially available circuits (TTL and CMOS) and test chips from commercially compatible processes, some results from experimental simulations of dielectrically isolated CMOS are also discussed. In general, it was found that commercial Schottky-clamped transistor-transistor logic (TTL) and dielectrically isolated, low power Schottky-clamped TTL functioned to junction temperatures in excess of 325°C. Standard gold-doped TTL functioned only to 250°C, while commercial isolated integrated injection logic (l2L) functioned to the range of 250-275°C. Commercial junction-isolated CMOS, buffered and unbuffered, functioned to the range of 280-310+°C, depending on the manufacturer. Experimental simulations of simple dielectrically isolated CMOS integrated circuits, fabricated with heavier doping levels than normal, functioned to temperatures in excess of 340°C. High temperature life testing of experimental, silicone-encapsulated simple TTL and CMOS integrated circuits have shown no obvious lifelimiting problems to date. No barrier to reliable functionality of TTL bipolar or CMOS integrated circuits at temperatures in excess of 300°C has been found.

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E. Rapp

Papers

Performance of Digital Integrated Circuit Technologies at Very High Temperatures