Effect of proton irradiation on the breakdown voltage of a high-voltage p–n junction

The effect of hydrogen-related shallow thermal donors and acceptor-like defects arising under proton irradiation of silicon on the breakdown voltage of a high-voltage p–n junction is considered. The relations making it possible to compute the breakdown voltage of the irradiated p–n junction taking into account the increase in critical field intensity during the ingress of hydrogen-related shallow thermal donors into the region of collisional ionization of the p–n junction are obtained. A technique for determination of the layer position and the minimum dose of hydrogen-related shallow thermal donors making it possible to decrease the breakdown voltage by a specified amount is proposed.