Modeling of surface-state induced inter-electrode isolation of $n$-on-$p$ devices in mixed-field and $\gamma$-irradiation environments

TL;DR

This study models how surface-state induced traps affect inter-electrode isolation in n-on-p sensors under mixed-field and gamma irradiation, revealing that mixed-field radiation degrades isolation regardless of p-stop implants, unlike gamma irradiation.

Contribution

It provides a TCAD simulation analysis of inter-electrode resistivity and trap densities, showing the impact of different irradiation environments on sensor isolation performance.

Findings

Mixed-field irradiation causes higher deep trap densities, reducing p-stop effectiveness.

Gamma irradiation results in low trap densities, maintaining p-stop influence.

Sensors without p-stop implants may be suitable for hadron-rich radiation environments.

Abstract

In the HEP-experiments of High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), the application of isolation implants like $p$-stop between $n^+$-electrodes of position sensitive $n$-on-$p$ sensors has been typically considered to counter the detrimental effect on position resolution of the accumulation of positive net oxide charge with radiation. In addition to the positively charged layer close to the Si/SiO$_2$-interface, surface damage introduced by radiation in SiO$_2$-passivated silicon particle detectors includes the accumulation of trapped-oxide-charge and interface traps. A previous study of either n/$\gamma$ (mixed field)- or $\gamma$-irradiated Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) capacitors showed evidence of substantially higher introduction rates of acceptor- and donor-type deep interface traps ($N_\textrm{it,acc/don}$) in mixed-field environment. In this work, an inter-electrode resistivity ($\rho_\textrm{int}$) TCAD-simulation study of $n$-on-$p$ sensors with and without $p$-stop isolation implants was conducted for both irradiation types. Higher levels of $\rho_\textrm{int}$ showed correlation to higher densities of deep $N_\textrm{it,acc/don}$, with the isolation performance of the mixed-field irradiated sensors becoming independent of the presence of $p$-stop implant between the $n^+$-electrodes throughout the investigated dose range up to about 100 kGy. The low introduction rates of deep $N_\textrm{it,acc/don}$ in $\gamma$-irradiated sensors resulted in high sensitivity of $\rho_\textrm{int}$ to the presence and peak doping of $p$-stop above the lowest dose of 7 kGy in the study. Because of the advantageous influence of radiation-induced accumulation of deep $N_\textrm{it}$ on the inter-electrode isolation, position sensitive $n$-on-$p$ sensors without isolation implants may be considered for future HEP-experiments where the radiation is largely due to hadrons.