EVALUATION OF SYSTEM DESIGN TECHNIQUES TO INCREASE EFFECTIVE MICROCIRCUIT HARDNESS

THE RADIATION HARDNESS OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES IS A FUNCTIONAL OF ELECTRICAL BIAS DURING EXPOSURE, CHIP TEMPERATURE AND OPERATING REQUIREMENTS. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL USE OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN A CIRCUMVENTED ELECTRONICS SUBSYSTEM TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVE HARDNESS OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR PIECEPARTS. PARTICULAR EMPHASIS WILL BE DIRECTEDTO THE USE OF MIL-QUALIFIED STANDARD MICROCIRCUITS FOR USE IN SYSTEMS WITH SEVERE RADIATION EXPOSURE REQUIREMENTS. MICROCIRCUIT TECHNOLOGIES CONSIDERED WILL INCLUDE HIGH DENSITY CMOS AND OXIDE-SEPARATED BIPOLAR FOR DIGITAL AND ANALOG APPLICATIONS. RADIATION FAILURE MECHANISMS CONSIDERED WILL INCLUDE LONG-TERM IONIZATION PERMANENT DAMAGE AND LATCHUP INDUCED BY EITHER PULSED IONIZING RADIATION OR A SINGLE HIGH ENERGY PARTICLE. THE PROGRAM WILL USE ADVANCED REENTRY VEHICLE ELECTRONICS CURRENTLY IN PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT AS A BASELINE TO ASSESS THE PRACTICAL MERIT OF POSSIBLE HARDENING TECHNIQUES. IN ADDITION TO HARDENING AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS, CONSTRAINTS OF HARDNESS VALIDATION AND HARDNESS ASSURANCE WILL BE CONSIDERED.