ASTM_F_1192_-_11.pdf

Designation:F119211Standard Guide for theMeasurement of Single Event Phenomena(SEP)Induced byHeavy Ion Irradiation of Semiconductor Devices1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F1192;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S.Department of Defense.1.Scope1.1 This guide defines the requirements and procedures fortesting integrated circuits and other devices for the effects ofsingle event phenomena(SEP)induced by irradiation withheavy ions having an atomic number Z 2.This descriptionspecifically excludes the effects of neutrons,protons,and otherlighter particles that may induce SEP via another mechanism.SEP includes any manifestation of upset induced by a singleion strike,including soft errors(one or more simultaneousreversible bit flips),hard errors(irreversible bit flips),latchup(persistent high conducting state),transients induced in com-binatorial devices which may introduce a soft error in nearbycircuits,power field effect transistor(FET)burn-out and gaterupture.This test may be considered to be destructive becauseit often involves the removal of device lids prior to irradiation.Bit flips are usually associated with digital devices and latchupis usually confined to bulk complementary metal oxidesemiconductor,(CMOS)devices,but heavy ion induced SEPisalso observed in combinatorial logic programmable read onlymemory,(PROMs),and certain linear devices that may re-spond to a heavy ion induced charge transient.Power transis-tors may be tested by the procedure called out in Method 1080of MIL STD 750.1.2 The procedures described here can be used to simulateand predict SEP arising from the natural space environment,including galactic cosmic rays,planetary trapped ions,andsolar flares.The techniques do not,however,simulate heavyion beam effects proposed for military programs.The endproduct of the test is a plot of the SEP cross section(thenumber of upsets per unit fluence)as a function of ion LET(linear energy transfer or ionization deposited along the ionspath through the semiconductor).This data can be combinedwith the systems heavy ion environment to estimate a systemupset rate.1.3 Although protons can cause SEP,they are not includedin this guide.A separate guide addressing proton induced SEPis being considered.1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded asstandard.No other units of measurement are included in thisstandard.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 Military Standard:2750 Method 10803.Terminology3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.1.1 DUTdevice under test.3.1.2 fluencethe flux integrated over time,expressed asions/cm2.3.1.3 fluxthe number of ions/s passing through a one cm2area perpendicular to the beam(ions/cm2-s).3.1.4 LETthe linear energy transfer,also known as thestopping power dE/dx,is the amount of energy deposited perunit length along the path of the incident ion,typicallynormalized by the target density and expressed as MeV-cm2/mg.3.1.4.1 DiscussionLET values are obtained by dividingthe energy per unit track length by the density of the irradiatedmedium.Since the energy lost along the track generateselectron-hole pairs,one can also express LET as chargedeposited per unit path length(for example,picocoulombs/micron)if it is known how much energy is required to generatean electron-hole pair in the irradiated material.(For silicon,3.62 eV is required per electron-hole pair.)Acorrection,important for lower energy ions in particular,is1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F01 on Electronicsand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F01.11 on Nuclear and SpaceRadiation Effects.Current edition approved Oct.1,2011.Published October 2011.Originallyapproved in 1988.Last previous edition approved in 2006 as F119200(2006).DOI:10.1520/F1192-11.2Available from Standardization Documents Order Desk,Bldg.4,Section D,700 Robbins Ave.,Philadelphia,PA 191115094.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 made to allow for the loss of ion energy after it has penetratedoverlayers above the device sensitive volume.Thus the ionsenergy,E,at the sensitive volume is related to its initial energy,EO,as:Es5 Eo2*ot/cos!SdEx!dxDdxwhere t is the thickness of the overlayer and is the angleof the incident beam with respect to the surface normal.Theappropriate LET would thus correspond to the modifiedenergy,E.A very important