Current Radiation Issues for Programmable Elements and Devices

Robert Katz, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
J.J. Wang, Actel Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA
R. Koga, The Aerospace Corporation, LA, California
K. A. LaBel, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
J. McCollum, Actel Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA
R. Brown, Lockheed-Martin Federal Systems, Manassas, VA
R. A. Reed, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
B. Cronquist, Actel Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA
S. Crain, The Aerospace Corporation, LA, California
T. Scott, Lockheed-Martin Federal Systems, Manassas, VA
W. Paolini, Actel Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA
B. Sin, Actel Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA

Document Type Article

Published in IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, VOL. 45, NO. 6, DECEMBER 1998.

Abstract

State of the art programmable devices are utilizing advanced processing technologies, non-standard circuit structures, and unique electrical elements in commercial-off-the- shelf (COTS)-based, high-performance devices. This paper will discuss that the above factors, coupled with the systems application environment, have a strong interplay that affect the radiation hardness of programmable devices and have resultant system impacts in (1) reliability of the unprogrammed, biased antifuse for heavy ions (rupture), (2) logic upset manifesting itself as clock upset, and (3) configuration upset. General radiation characteristics of advanced technologies are examined and manufacturers’ modifications to their COTS-based and their impact on future programmable devices will be analyzed