D.S. Walsh

SEU-sensitive volumes in bulk and SOI SRAMs from first-principles calculations and experiments

Large-scale three-dimensional (3D) device simulations, focused ion microscopy, and broadbeam heavy-ion experiments are used to determine and compare the SEU-sensitive volumes of bulk-Si and SOI CMOS SRAMs. Single-event upset maps and cross-section curves calculated directly from 3D simulations show excellent agreement with broadbeam cross section curves and microbeam, charge collection and upset images for 16 K bulk-Si SRAMs. Charge-collection and single-event upset (SEU) experiments on 64 K and 1 M SOI SRAMs indicate that drain strikes can cause single-event upsets in SOI ICs. 3D simulations do not predict this result, which appears to be due to anomalous charge collection from the substrate through the buried oxide. This substrate charge-collection mechanism can considerably increase the SEU-sensitive volume of SOI SRAMs, and must be included in single-event models if they are to provide accurate predictions of SOI device response in radiation environments.

Comparison of SETs in bipolar linear circuits generated with an ion microbeam, laser light, and circuit simulation

Generally good agreement is obtained between the single-event output voltage transient waveforms obtained by exposing individual circuit elements of a bipolar comparator and operational amplifier to an ion microbeam, a pulsed laser beam, and circuit simulations using SPICE. The agreement is achieved by adjusting the amounts of charge deposited by the laser or injected in the SPICE simulations. The implications for radiation hardness assurance are discussed.

Charge collection in SOI capacitors and circuits and its effect on SEU hardness

Focused ion microbeam and broadbeam heavy-ion experiments on capacitors and SRAMs are used to investigate increased saturation upset cross sections recently observed in some silicon-on-insulator (SOI) integrated circuits (ICs). Experiments performed on capacitors show a very strong bias and oxide thickness dependence for charge collection. In combination with three-dimensional (3-D) simulations, these data suggest that the mechanism for charge collection in capacitors is due to perturbation of the substrate electric fields by charge deposition in the substrate. For substrates biased in depletion, these perturbations induce displacement currents through the oxide. Charge collection by displacement currents can be substantially reduced or mitigated by using heavily doped substrates. Experiments performed on SRAMs also show enhanced charge collection from displacement currents. However, experimental data and 3-D simulations show that for SRAMs, a second mechanism also contributes to charge collection. The 3-D simulations suggest that the charge collection results from drain and body-tie heavy-ion strikes within a few tenths of a micron of the body-to-drain junctions. These charge collection mechanisms can substantially reduce the SEU hardness and soft-error reliability of commercial SOI ICs.

A new approach to nuclear microscopy: the ion–electron emission microscope

Abstract A new multidimensional high lateral resolution ion beam analysis technique, ion–electron emission microscopy (IEEM) is described. Using MeV energy ions, IEEM is shown to be capable of ion beam induced charge collection (IBICC) measurements in semiconductors. IEEM should also be capable of microscopically and multidimensionally mapping the surface and bulk composition of solids. As such, IEEM has nearly identical capabilities as traditional nuclear microprobe analysis, with the advantage that the ion beam does not have to be focused. The technique is based on determining the position where an individual ion enters the surface of the sample by projection secondary electron emission microscopy. The x – y origination point of a secondary electron, and hence the impact coordinates of the corresponding incident ion, is recorded with a position sensitive detector connected to a standard photoemission electron microscope (PEEM). These signals are then used to establish coincidence with IBICC, atomic, or nuclear reaction induced ion beam analysis signals simultaneously caused by the incident ion.

Radiation effects on surface micromachined comb drives and microengines

Surface micromachined comb drive and microengine fluence thresholds and failure modes were investigated in X-ray, electron, and proton total-dose environments. Very high fluence levels were necessary to induce motion degradation or lockup for normal device biasing or operation. For the abnormal biasing of ungrounded or partially grounded dice, significantly lower fault thresholds were observed, but still in a medium or high fluence range.

TIME-RESOLVED ION BEAM INDUCED CHARGE COLLECTION (TRIBICC) IN MICRO-ELECTRONICS

Abstract A focused 12-MeV carbon ion micro-beam was used to acquire multiple single ion transients at various locations of a single CMOS transistor. Complete current transients induced by single ions were measured at a 5 GHz analog bandwidth. The current transients reveal clear and discernible contributions of drift and diffusive charge collection. Estimates are presented for the drift assisted funneling charge collection depth. Radiation damage effects on drift and diffusive charge collection are reported. Transients measured for drain and off-drain ion strikes compare well to 3D DAVINCI calculations.

Anomalous charge collection from silicon-on-insulator structures

An increased single event upset cross-section was found in some silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices in recent experiments. In order to investigate this unexpected increase we performed both broad beam and microbeam experiments on thermal oxide capacitors. Charge collection was measured using ion beam induced charge collection (IBICC) and time resolved IBICC under different biasing conditions. Lateral charge collection profiles were recorded across the top electrode. We found that the collected charge strongly depends on the applied bias and the oxide thickness. Lateral non-uniformity was observed for low bias conditions. In this paper we will give a qualitative explanation for the charge collection mechanism in SOI devices.

Nuclear emission microscopies

Abstract Alternatives to traditional nuclear microprobe analysis (NMA) emerged two years ago with the invention of ion electron emission microscopy (IEEM). With nuclear emission microscopy (NEM) the ion beam is only partially focused so as to fill the field of view of a special emission particle microscope system fitted with a single particle position sensitive detector (PSD). When a single ion strikes the sample, the emitted secondaries (e.g. electrons, photons, ions, etc.) are projected at great magnification onto this PSD where position signals are generated. These X and Y signals are then put into coincidence with other signals made by this same ion in a fashion completely analogous to traditional nuclear microprobe analysis. In this paper, an update will be given on the state of NEMs, which currently includes IEEM and highly charged ion–secondary ion mass spectroscopy (HCI–SIMS). In addition, a new type of full-field nuclear imaging is proposed: ion photon emission microscopy or IPEM.

Ion Beam Induced Charge Collection (IBICC) Studies of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) Radiation Detectors

Abstract Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) is an emerging material for room temperature radiation detectors. In order to optimize the performance of these detectors, it is important to determine how the electronic properties of CZT are related to the presence of impurities and defects that are introduced during the crystal growth and detector fabrication. At the Sandia microbeam facility IBICC (ion beam induced charge collection) and time resolved IBICC (TRIBICC) were used to image electronic properties of various CZT detectors. Two-dimensional areal maps of charge collection efficiency were deduced from the measurements. In order to determine radiation damage to the detectors, we measured the deterioration of the IBICC signal as the function of dose. A model to explain quantitatively the pattern observed in the charge collection efficiency maps of the damaged detectors has been developed and applied to the data.

Investigation of the electronic properties of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors using a nuclear microprobe

Abstract The electronic transport properties of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) determine the charge collection efficiency (i.e. the signal quality) of CZT detectors. These properties vary on both macroscopic and microscopic scales and depend on the presence of impurities and defects introduced during the crystal growth. Ion Beam Induced Charge Collection (IBICC) is a proven albeit relatively new method to measure the charge collection efficiency. Using an ion microbeam, the charge collection efficiency can be mapped with submicron resolution, and the map of electronic properties (such as drift length) can be calculated from the measurement. A more sophisticated version of IBICC, the Time Resolved IBICC (TRIBICC) allows us to determine the mobility and the lifetime of the charge carriers by recording and analyzing the transient waveform of the detector signal. Furthermore, lateral IBICC and TRIBICC can provide information about how the charge collection efficiency depends on the depth where the charge carriers are generated. This allows one to deduce information on the distribution of the electric field and transport properties of the charge carriers along the detector axis. IBICC and TRIBICC were used at the Sandia microbeam facility to image electronic properties of several CZT detectors. From the lateral TRIBICC measurement the electron and hole drift length profiles were calculated.