Method of radiation hardening semiconductor devices

摘要

An electronic device, such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor, is radiation hardened by removing impurities such as sodium and other alkali species, from the oxide. The impurities are first caused to migrate to the surface of the oxide by exposure to electromagnetic radiation having an energy greater than the oxide band gap while the oxide is immersed in an electric field. The impurities are then rinsed from the surface of the oxide with a solvent.