Invisible Adversaries: How Radiation Shapes the Reliability of Integrated Circuits

Speaker

Dr. Stephen Buchner, Consultant

Abstract

Integrated circuits are under constant attack by particle radiation, whether deployed in space, in aeronautics, or in terrestrial applications. The primary source of particle radiation in space is the Sun, while galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) have a much lower flux than solar particles but are much more energetic and, therefore, penetrating. On Earth the sources of particle radiation are radioactive elements, man-made sources such as particle accelerators, and the products of GCRs, mostly neutrons.

When exposed to particle radiation, electronic circuits can undergo immediate failure, usually termed a single event effect (SEE), or failure at a later time due to the accumulation of radiation damage, typically referred to as total ionizing dose (TID) or total displacement damage dose (DDD). Several examples will be presented of particle-radiation induced failure in a variety of circuits operating in different environments and their consequences.

Ionizing radiation liberates electrons in the material comprising an integrated circuit. When an energetic ion liberates electrons in an insulator, the electrons can be trapped in defects that cause a gradual change in the performance of the device, such a slowing of the operating frequency until the part no longer functions properly. Electrons liberated in the semiconductor, on the other hand, will move under the influence of an electric field, altering the local voltages and causing an SEE. The incident particle radiation can also occasionally collide with a nucleus, causing the nucleus to be kicked out of its equilibrium position with the concomitant formation of lattice defects that adversely affect device performance.

A considerable portion of the talk will address the application of a pulsed laser to testing for SEEs. Substituting pulsed laser-light for particle radiation has recently found wide-spread interest in the radiation effects community due to severely limited availability of particle accelerators, the usual method of testing for SEEs.

Biography

Stephen Buchner has worked in the field of radiation effects in electronic devices and systems for more than 40 years both at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. He holds a B.S. in Physics from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania. Although his work spans all aspects of radiation effects, Dr. Buchner’s primary research focus has been the use of pulsed laser-light to simulate particle radiation and study its impact on electronic circuit performance. This pioneering technique has significantly advanced the understanding of voltage transients (“glitches”) in radiation environments.