Reliability life-testing and failure-analysis of GaAs monolithic Ku-band driver amplifiers

• Published in: IEEE transactions on reliability Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 119 - 125
• Main Authors: Mittereder, J.A., Roussos, J.A., Christianson, K.A., Anderson, W.T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.06.1998; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Driver circuits; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Failure analysis; Gallium arsenide; Life estimation; Life testing; Microwave amplifiers; Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; MMICs; Radio frequency; Radiofrequency amplifiers; Temperature; Testing, measurement, noise and reliability; Ku band; Temperature; Statistical analysis; Arsenic compound; Amplifier; Life test; Lognormal distribution; Gallium compound; Failure analysis; Microwave circuit; Monolithic integrated circuit; Reliability; Infrared test
• ISSN: 0018-9529; 1558-1721
• DOI: 10.1109/24.722272

'Gallium-arsenide monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) Ku-band driver amplifiers were life tested under accelerated high temperature, DC and RF conditions until failure. These MMIC are used in various applications such as radar and satellite communication systems. The failure mechanisms controlling their reliability must be understood in order to improve the lifetime for these and other applications. This paper discusses the experimental procedures, statistical evaluation of the data and failure analysis of the devices. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of RF life testing of dual-gate driver amplifiers. The majority of the devices failed catastrophically due to high drain current, while others failed parametrically due to low output power. Failure analysis indicates that degradation of the Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ dielectric layer to be the main failure mechanism in these MMIC. Statistical analysis revealed an activation energy of 0.87 eV and a median lifetime of 5.8/spl middot/10/sup 4/ hours at 140/spl deg/C channel temperature, which is consistent with surface-phenomena failure mechanisms.