Significance and Use
5.1 Many modern integrated circuits, power transistors, and other devices experience SEP when exposed to cosmic rays in interplanetary space, in satellite orbits, or during a short passage through trapped radiation belts. It is essential to be able to predict the SEP rate for a specific environment in order to establish proper techniques to counter the effects of such upsets in proposed systems. As the technology moves toward higher density ICs, the problem is likely to become even more acute.
5.2 This guide is intended to assist experimenters in performing ground tests to yield data enabling SEP predictions to be made.
Scope
1.1 This guide defines the requirements and procedures for testing integrated circuits and other devices for the effects of single event phenomena (SEP) induced by irradiation with heavy ions having an atomic number Z ≥ 2. This description specifically excludes the effects of neutrons, protons, and other lighter particles that may induce SEP via different mechanisms, for example, ionization or displacement damage. SEP includes any manifestation of upset induced by a single ion strike, including soft errors (one or more simultaneous reversible bit flips), hard errors (irreversible bit flips), latchup (persistent high conducting state), transients induced in combinatorial devices which may introduce a soft error in nearby circuits, power field effect transistor (FET) burn-out, and gate rupture. This test may be considered to be destructive because it often involves the removal of device lids prior to irradiation. Bit flips are usually associated with digital devices and latchup is usually confined to bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, but heavy ion induced SEP is also observed in combinatorial logic programmable read-only memory (PROMs), and certain linear devices that may respond to a heavy ion induced charge transient. Power transistors may be tested by the procedure called out in Method 1080 of MIL STD 750.
1.2 The procedures described here can be used to simulate and predict SEP arising from the natural space environment, including galactic cosmic rays, planetary trapped ions, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and solar flares. The techniques do not, however, simulate heavy ion beam nuclear interaction effects. The end product of the test is a plot of the SEP cross section (the number of upsets/events per unit fluence) as a function of ion LET (linear energy transfer or ionization deposited along the ion's path through the semiconductor). This data can be combined with an expected system's heavy ion environment to estimate a system upset rate during operation.
1.3 Although protons can cause SEP, they are not included in this guide. A separate guide addressing proton induced SEP is being considered.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
