Numerous studies have revealed that vertical power MOSFETs are susceptible to single-event burnout (SEB) and single-event gate rupture (SEGR), resulting in degraded performance or even catastrophic failure when operated in a cosmic-ray environment like space. This paper summarizes many of those experimental studies and examines the problems, test methodologies, and experimental results. Previously unavailable information on SEGR is also provided.

Experimental studies of single-event gate rupture and burnout in vertical power MOSFETs

Irradiations and subsequent failure analyses were performed to investigate single event dielectric rupture (SEDR) in Actel FPGAs as a function of ion LET (linear energy transfer), angle, bias, temperature, feature size, and device type. The small cross sections imply acceptably low risk for most spacecraft uses.

An experimental survey of heavy ion induced dielectric rupture in Actel field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)

Experimental studies of single event gate-repture and burnout in vertical power MOSFETs

The evolution of highly miniaturized electronic and mechanical systems will be accompanied by new problems and issues regarding the radiation response of these systems in the space environment. In this paper we discuss some of the more prominent radiation problems brought about by miniaturization. For example, autonomous micro-spacecraft will require large amounts of high density memory, most likely in the form of stacked, multichip modules of DRAM's, that must tolerate the radiation environment. However, advanced DRAM's (16 to 256 Mbit) are quite susceptible to radiation, particularly single event effects, and even exhibit new radiation phenomena that were not a problem for older, less dense memory chips. Another important trend in micro-spacecraft electronics is toward the use of low-voltage microelectronic systems that consume less power. However, the reduction in operating voltage also caries with it an increased susceptibility to radiation. In the case of application specific integrated microcircuits (ASIM's), advanced devices of this type, such as high density field programmable gate arrays (FPGA's) exhibit new single event effects (SEE), such as single particle reprogramming of anti-fuse links. New advanced bipolar circuits have been shown recently to degrade more rapidly in the low dose rate space environment than in the typical laboratory total dose radiation test used to qualify such devices. Thus total dose testing of these parts is no longer an appropriately conservative measure to be used for hardness assurance. We also note that the functionality of micromechanical Si-based devices may be altered due to the radiation-induced deposition of charge in the oxide passivation layers.

The Impact on Space Radiation Requirements and Effects on ASIMS

A radiation-hardened Buck converter

Outlines the design, manufacture, and special processing techniques used to attain a solution to radiation-induced effects on super large N-channel power MOSFET dies, sizes 9 and 11, which are approximately 500*690 mils and 772*1022 mils, and still meet the critical and unique requirements of the remote power controller (RPC), the remote bus isolator (RBI), and, above all, the DC-to-DC converter (DDCU) for Space Station Freedom. >

H.M. Joseph

Papers

Radiation-induced effects on special super large n-channel power MOSFETS for space applications