An Evaluation of Single Event Effects
by Heavy Ion Irradiation on Atom Switch
ROM/FPGA
K. Takeuchi, M. Tada, T. Sakamoto, and S. Kuboyama
Abstract Atom switches embedded in read-only memories (ROMs) and field
programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) were investigated in terms of single event effects
(SEEs). In this study, their radiation tolerance against single event upset (SEU) was
demonstrated with an LET of up to 68.9 MeV/(mg/cm
2
), irrespective of the voltage
conditions or logic states of the cells.
1 Introduction
1.1 Overview of the Space Radiation Environment
In the space environment, there are three types of radiation sources that affect
electronics in satellite systems: Van Allen radiation belt, solar energetic particles
(SEPs) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). Figure 1 shows an illustration of the space
radiation environment. Semiconductor devices have to survive in this harsh radiation
environment.
The Van Allen radiation belts were discovered by the Explorer I satellite in 1958
and analyzed by Van Allen et al. [1] and McIlwain [2] revealing that high energy
radiation particles are trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. The belts extended in a
donut-like shape along the equator, consisting of an inner (electrons and protons)
and outer (electrons) double-layered structure. Figure 2 shows contour plots of the
trapped proton (left) and electron (right) fluxes with energies above 1 MeV and
10 MeV, respectively, as predicted by SPENVIS code [3]. The actual shapes of the
radiation belts are distorted by solar wind. These belts would be 6.6–10 times as
large as the Earth’s radius (about 6400 km) on the sun side, while being extended up
to 1000 times like a comet’s tail on the other side [4].
K. Takeuchi (*) · S. Kuboyama
Research and Development Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA),
Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: takeuchi.kozo@jaxa.jp
M. Tada · T. Sakamoto
System Platform Research Laboratories, NEC Corp., Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
M. Aono (ed.), Atomic Switch, Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34875-5_4
59
by Heavy Ion Irradiation on Atom Switch
ROM/FPGA
K. Takeuchi, M. Tada, T. Sakamoto, and S. Kuboyama
Abstract Atom switches embedded in read-only memories (ROMs) and field
programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) were investigated in terms of single event effects
(SEEs). In this study, their radiation tolerance against single event upset (SEU) was
demonstrated with an LET of up to 68.9 MeV/(mg/cm
2
), irrespective of the voltage
conditions or logic states of the cells.
1 Introduction
1.1 Overview of the Space Radiation Environment
In the space environment, there are three types of radiation sources that affect
electronics in satellite systems: Van Allen radiation belt, solar energetic particles
(SEPs) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). Figure 1 shows an illustration of the space
radiation environment. Semiconductor devices have to survive in this harsh radiation
environment.
The Van Allen radiation belts were discovered by the Explorer I satellite in 1958
and analyzed by Van Allen et al. [1] and McIlwain [2] revealing that high energy
radiation particles are trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. The belts extended in a
donut-like shape along the equator, consisting of an inner (electrons and protons)
and outer (electrons) double-layered structure. Figure 2 shows contour plots of the
trapped proton (left) and electron (right) fluxes with energies above 1 MeV and
10 MeV, respectively, as predicted by SPENVIS code [3]. The actual shapes of the
radiation belts are distorted by solar wind. These belts would be 6.6–10 times as
large as the Earth’s radius (about 6400 km) on the sun side, while being extended up
to 1000 times like a comet’s tail on the other side [4].
K. Takeuchi (*) · S. Kuboyama
Research and Development Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA),
Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: takeuchi.kozo@jaxa.jp
M. Tada · T. Sakamoto
System Platform Research Laboratories, NEC Corp., Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
M. Aono (ed.), Atomic Switch, Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34875-5_4
59