https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-026-07303-6
Regular Article
Multi-technique characterizations of single-event burnout (SEB) in silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs
1
STMicroelectronics, Stradale Primosole 50, 95121, Catania, Italy
2
Department of Physics and Chemistry Emilio Segrè-University of Palermo, viale delle scienze, Ed. 18, 90128, Palermo, Italy
3
ISIS Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, OX11 0QX, Harwell, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
4
NAST Centre c/o Physics Department, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
5
Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Council of Research, P.le E. Fermi, 1, 80155, Portici (NA), Italy
6
Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
7
Department of Physics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
a
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Received:
5
August
2025
Accepted:
8
January
2026
Published online:
14
February
2026
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive investigation of single-event burnout (SEB) in silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFET employing multilevel advanced techniques. Firstly, the SEB was created by atmospheric neutron irradiation using the ChipIr beamline at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Facility; to follow, the SEB was analyzed using the medium-range facilities X-Ray computed tomography (XCT), profilometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), instrumentation suite of the ISIS@MACH ITALIA Facility (IM@IT). The use of complementary techniques—electrons, light, and neutron probes—provides new results that improve the knowledge of the SEB failure mechanism of SiC power MOSFET. By combining the results from such complementary techniques, this study allows to fully characterize the neutron-induced SEB, the 2D–3D morphology of the samples, and to evaluate the impact on the device. Neutron irradiation leads to a failure mechanism caused by the rapid heating that reaches the sublimation temperature of SiC leading to the displacement of the polyimide passivation layer, due to expansion stress, yielding consistent results of SEB maximum dimensions of 
and volume of about 
. These studies provide a 2D and 3D characterization of the SiC power MOSFET devices while reinforcing the need for radiation hardening strategies tailored to SiC-based power electronics for high-reliability applications such as automotive, aerospace, and nuclear energy.
© The Author(s) 2026
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