The Search for Neutron-Induced Hard Errors in VLSI Structures

Results of analytical and experimental studies of the mechanisms of neutron effects on VLSI structures are described in this paper. The issue of whether a single neutron-produced defect cluster can produce a significant amount of permanent damage ("hard error") in a VLSI cell is addressed. Properties of average defect clusters in silicon are calculated as a function of neutron energy, including dimensions, defect densities, and local electrical properties. The expected effects of a single cluster on MOS and bipolar VLSI geometries are described, and predictions are made of the neutron fluence required to produce a cluster at a critical location in an integrated circuit. Experimental results obtained for 14-MeV neutron-irradiated small-geometry bipolar test chips are described and compared with predictions based on cluster calculations. Much of the present data is accounted for satisfactorily in terms of an average cluster model. The present results suggest that hard errors will occur in VLSI structures at relatively modest neutron fluences. This situation may cause lower bounds to be placed on device sizes for applications requiring radiation tolerance.

[1]  B. L. Gregory.  Minority Carrier Recombination in Neutron Irradiated Silicon , 1969 .

[2]  G. P. Mueller,et al.  Simulations of Cascade Damage in Silicon , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science.

[3]  J. R. Srour,et al.  Short-Term Annealing in Silicon Devices Following Pulsed 14-MeV Neutron Irradiation , 1972 .

[4]  R. Leadon,et al.  Energy Dependence of Displacement Effects in Semiconductors , 1972 .

[5]  B. L. Gregory,et al.  Transient annealing of defects in irradiated silicon devices , 1970 .

[6]  O. Curtis.  Statistics of Carrier Recombination at Disordered Regions in Semiconductors , 1968 .

[7]  R. A. Hartmann,et al.  Radiation Damage Coefficients for Silicon Depletion Regions , 1979, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science.

[8]  R. R. Holmes.  Carrier Removal in Neviron Irradiated Silicon , 1970 .

[9]  P. Sigmund.  ON THE NUMBER OF ATOMS DISPLACED BY IMPLANTED IONS OR ENERGETIC RECOIL ATOMS , 1969 .

[10]  P. Sigmund,et al.  Energy deposition and penetration depth of heavy ions in the electronic stopping region , 1971 .

[11]  H. Stein,et al.  INTRODUCTION RATES OF ELECTRICALLY ACTIVE DEFECTS IN n- AND p-TYPE SILICON BY ELECTRON AND NEUTRON IRRADIATION. , 1968 .

[12]  T. May,et al.  Alpha-particle-induced soft errors in dynamic memories , 1979, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[13]  J. R. Srour,et al.  Recombination within Disordered Regions: Influence of Barrier Height on Recombination Rate and Injection Level Effects , 1973 .

[14]  B. R. Gossick,et al.  DISORDERED REGIONS IN SEMICONDUCTORS BOMBARDED BY FAST NEUTRONS , 1959 .

[15]  J. R. Srour.  Stable-Damage Comparisons for Neutron-Irradiated Silicon , 1973 .

[16]  H. Stein.  ENERGY DEPENDENCE OF NEUTRON DAMAGE IN SILICON. , 1967 .

[17]  O. Curtis.  Effects of Oxygen and Dopant on Lifetime in Neutron-Irradiated Silicon , 1966 .

[18]  James W. Mayer,et al.  Ion implantation in semiconductors , 1973 .

[19]  F. Seitz.  On the disordering of solids by action of fast massive particles , 1949 .

[20]  J. Loferski,et al.  Radiation damage in Ge and Si detected by carrier lifetime changes: Damage thresholds , 1958 .