How do you test CMOS devices for radiation-induced soft errors?
Radiation-induced soft errors (RISEs) are transient faults that occur in CMOS devices when energetic particles strike the sensitive regions of the transistors, causing unwanted changes in logic states or currents. RISEs can affect the performance, reliability, and security of CMOS devices, especially in harsh environments like space, aviation, or nuclear facilities. In this article, you will learn how to test CMOS devices for RISEs using different methods and tools.
Testing CMOS devices for RISEs is important for several reasons. First, it can help you identify the sources and types of radiation that affect your device, such as alpha particles, neutrons, or cosmic rays. Second, it can help you measure the susceptibility and tolerance of your device to RISEs, and compare it with the design specifications and standards. Third, it can help you evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation techniques, such as error correction codes, redundancy, or shielding, that can reduce or prevent RISEs.
Testing CMOS devices for RISEs can be done in a variety of ways, depending on the level of abstraction, the type of radiation, and the availability of resources. Simulation is a popular method that involves using software tools to model the behavior of CMOS devices under radiation exposure. This can help estimate the probability and severity of RISEs, as well as explore different design options and mitigation strategies. However, simulation may not capture all physical effects and variations of radiation, and require high computational power and accuracy. Accelerated testing is another approach that involves exposing devices to high doses of radiation in a controlled environment. This can help validate simulation results and obtain realistic data on RISEs. Yet, it can be costly, time-consuming, and limited by the availability of radiation sources. Lastly, field testing uses natural sources of radiation to expose devices to low doses in a realistic environment. This can evaluate the actual impact and occurrence of RISEs in real-world scenarios, and assess long-term reliability and robustness. However, field testing may be challenging, unpredictable, and influenced by many external factors.
Different tools can be used to test CMOS devices for RISEs, depending on the method, device, and objective. For example, logic analyzers can be used to capture and analyze digital signals and detect any deviations or errors caused by RISEs. Current probes measure the current consumption of CMOS devices under radiation exposure and identify any anomalies or spikes caused by RISEs. Fault injection tools are also available to artificially induce RISEs in CMOS devices and observe the response and behavior of the devices. These tools can help you identify the location and timing of RISEs, measure the frequency and rate of RISEs, estimate the energy and charge of RISEs, evaluate the sensitivity and resilience of CMOS devices to RISEs, test the functionality and security of CMOS devices under RISEs, and verify the effectiveness and coverage of mitigation techniques.
Testing CMOS devices for RISEs can produce different types of results, depending on the method, the tool, and the metric. For example, Soft Error Rate (SER) is the number of RISEs per unit time or per unit device area and can help quantify susceptibility and tolerance to RISEs. Soft Error Cross Section (SECS) is the probability of a RISE per unit particle fluence or per unit device area and can help characterize the impact and severity of RISEs. Lastly, Soft Error Coverage (SEC) is the percentage of RISEs that are detected or corrected by mitigation techniques, which can help evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of such techniques.
Testing CMOS devices for RISEs can help you identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities, suggesting ways to improve the reliability and robustness against RISEs. Design optimization can reduce sensitivity and susceptibility to RISEs by changing parameters and features such as transistor size, layout, spacing, doping, or threshold voltage. Error correction codes (ECC) can add redundancy and parity bits to the data stored or transmitted by CMOS devices, detecting or correcting any errors caused by RISEs. Redundancy can duplicate or triplicate components or modules of CMOS devices, comparing or voting on the outputs to eliminate errors caused by RISEs. Shielding can protect CMOS devices from external sources of radiation, such as metal cases, plastic covers, or dielectric layers. All these measures can help you increase the resilience and security of CMOS devices under RISEs.
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