ASTM F1192-11(2018)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: F1192 − 11 (Reapproved 2018)
Standard Guide for the
Measurement of Single Event Phenomena (SEP) Induced by
Heavy Ion Irradiation of Semiconductor Devices
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F1192; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope 1.3 Although protons can cause SEP, they are not included
in this guide. A separate guide addressing proton induced SEP
1.1 This guide defines the requirements and procedures for
is being considered.
testing integrated circuits and other devices for the effects of
single event phenomena (SEP) induced by irradiation with 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
heavy ions having an atomic number Z ≥ 2. This description standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
specifically excludes the effects of neutrons, protons, and other standard.
lighter particles that may induce SEP via another mechanism.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the
SEP includes any manifestation of upset induced by a single
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
ion strike, including soft errors (one or more simultaneous
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
reversible bit flips), hard errors (irreversible bit flips), latchup
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
(persistent high conducting state), transients induced in com-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
binatorial devices which may introduce a soft error in nearby
1.6 This international standard was developed in accor-
circuits, power field effect transistor (FET) burn-out and gate
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
rupture. This test may be considered to be destructive because
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
it often involves the removal of device lids prior to irradiation.
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
Bit flips are usually associated with digital devices and latchup
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
is usually confined to bulk complementary metal oxide
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
semiconductor, (CMOS) devices, but heavy ion induced SEP is
2. Referenced Documents
also observed in combinatorial logic programmable read only
memory, (PROMs), and certain linear devices that may re-
2.1 Military Standard:
spond to a heavy ion induced charge transient. Power transis-
750 Method 1080
tors may be tested by the procedure called out in Method 1080
of MIL STD 750. 3. Terminology
1.2 The procedures described here can be used to simulate 3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
and predict SEP arising from the natural space environment, 3.1.1 DUT—device under test.
including galactic cosmic rays, planetary trapped ions, and
3.1.2 fluence—the flux integrated over time, expressed as
solar flares. The techniques do not, however, simulate heavy
ions/cm .
ion beam effects proposed for military programs. The end
3.1.3 flux—the number of ions/s passing through a one cm
product of the test is a plot of the SEP cross section (the
area perpendicular to the beam (ions/cm -s).
number of upsets per unit fluence) as a function of ion LET
3.1.4 LET—the linear energy transfer, also known as the
(linear energy transfer or ionization deposited along the ion’s
stopping power dE/dx, is the amount of energy deposited per
path through the semiconductor). This data can be combined
unit length along the path of the incident ion, typically
with the system’s heavy ion environment to estimate a system
normalized by the target density and expressed as MeV-cm /
upset rate.
mg.
3.1.4.1 Discussion—LET values are obtained by dividing
1 the energy per unit track length by the density of the irradiated
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E10 on Nuclear
Technology and Applications and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee medium. Since the energy lost along the track generates
E10.07 on Radiation Dosimetry for Radiation Effects on Materials and Devices.
Current edition approved March 1, 2018. Published April 2018. Originally
approved in 1988. Last previous edition approved in 2011 as F1192–11. DOI: Available from Standardization Documents Order Desk, Bldg. 4, Section D,
10.1520/F1192-11R18. 700 Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111–5094.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
F1192 − 11 (2018)
electron-hole pairs, one can also express LET as charge energetic particle. This term would also include effects induced
deposited per unit path length (for example, picocoulombs/ by neutrons and protons, as well as the response of power
micron) if it is known how much energy is required to generate transistors—categories not included in this guide.
an electron-hole pair in the irradiated material. (For silicon,
3.1.12 single event transients, (SET)—SET’s are SE-caused
3.62 eV is required per electron-hole pair.)
electrical transients that are propagated to the outputs of
A correction, important for lower energy ions in particular, is
combinational logic IC’s. Depending upon system application
made to allow for the loss of ion energy after it has penetrated
of these combinational logic IC’s, SET’s can cause system
overlayers above the device sensitive volume. Thus the ion’s
SEU.
energy, E, at the sensitive volume is related to its initial energy,
3.1.13 single event upset, (SEU)—comprise soft upsets and
E , as:
O
hard faults.
~t/cosθ!
dE x
~ !
3.1.14 soft upset—the change of state of a single latched
E 5 E 2 dx
* S D
s o
dx
o logic state from one to zero, or vice versa. The upset is “soft”
if the latch can be rewritten and behave normally thereafter.
where t is the thickness of the overlayer and θ is the angle
3.1.15 threshold LET—for a given device, the threshold
of the incident beam with respect to the surface normal. The
LET is defined as the minimum LET that a particle must have
appropriate LET would thus correspond to the modified
to cause a SEU at θ = 0 for a specified fluence (for example,
energy, E.
6 2
10 ions/cm ). In some of the literature, the threshold LET is
A very important concept, but one which is by no means
also sometimes defined as that LET value where the cross
universally true, is the effective LET. The effective LET ap-
section is some fraction of the “limiting” cross section, but this
plies for those soft error mechanisms where the device sus-
definition is not endorsed herein.
ceptibility depends, in reality, on the charge deposited within
a sensitive volume that is thin like a wafer. By equating the
3.1.16 SEP cross section—is a derived quantity equal to the
charge deposited at normal incidence to that deposited by an
number of SEP events per unit fluence.
ion with incident angle θ, we obtain:
3.1.16.1 Discussion—For those situations that meet the
criteria described for usage of an effective LET (see 3.1.4), the
LET effective 5 LET normal /cosθ θ,60°
~ ! ~ !
SEP cross section can be extended to include beams impinging
Because of this relationship, one can sometimes test with
at an oblique angle as follows:
a single ion at two different angles to correspond to two dif-
number of upsets
ferent (effective) LETs. Note that the effective LET at high
σ 5
fluence × cos θ
angles may not be a realistic measure (see also 6.6). Note
also that the above relationship breaks down when the lateral
where θ = angle of the beam with respect to the perpen-
dimensions of the sensitive volume are comparable to its
dicularity to the chip. The cross section may have units such
2 2 2
depth, as is the case with VLSI and other modern high den-
as cm /device or cm /bit or μm /bit. In the limit of high
sity ICs.
LET (which depends on the particular device), the SEP cross
3.1.5 single event burnout—SEB (also known as SEBO) section will have an area equal to the sensitive area of the
may occur as a result of a single ion strike. Here a power device (with the boundaries extended to allow for possible
transistor sustains a high drain-source current condition, which diffusion of charge from an adjacent ion strike). If any ion
usually culminates in device destruction. causes multiple upsets per strike, the SEP cross section will
be proportionally higher. If the thin region waferlike assump-
3.1.6 single event effects—SEE is a term used earlier to
tion for the shape of the sensitive volume does not apply,
describe many of the effects now included in the term SEP.
then the SEP cross section data become a complicated func-
3.1.7 single event gate rupture—SEGR (also known as
tion of incident ion angle. As a general rule, high angle tests
SEGD) may occur as a result of a single ion strike. Here a
are to be avoided when a normal incident ion of the same
power transistor sustains a high gate current as a result of
LET is available.
damage of the gate oxide.
A limiting or asymptotic cross section is sometimes mea-
3.1.8 single event functionality interrupt—SEFI may occur
sured at high LET whenever all particles impinging on a
as a result of a single ion striking a special device node, used
sensitive area of the device cause upset. One can establish
for an electrical functionality test.
this value if two measurements, having a different high LET,
exhibit the same cross sections.
3.1.9 single event hard fault—often called hard error, is a
permanent, unalterable change of state that is typically associ-
3.2 Abbreviations:
ated with permanent damage to one or more of the materials
3.2.1 ALS—advanced low power Schottky.
comprising the affected device.
3.2.2 CMOS—complementary metal oxide semiconductor
3.1.10 single event latchup—SEL is an abnormal low
device.
impedance, high-current density state induced in an integrated
3.2.3 FET—field effect transistor.
circuit that embodies a parasitic pnpn structure operating as a
silicon controlled rectifier. 3.2.4 IC—integrated circuit.
3.1.11 single event phenomena—SEP is the broad category 3.2.5 NMOS—n-type-channel metal oxide semiconductor
of all semiconductor device responses to a single hit from an device.
F1192 − 11 (2018)
3.2.6 PMOS—p-type-channel metal oxide semiconductor provide proper dosimetry and ensure the absence of collective
device. effects on device response. For heavy ion SEP tests a normal
2 5 2
flux range will be 10 to 10 ions ⁄cm -s. However, higher
3.2.7 PROM—programmable read only memory.
fluxes are acceptable if it can be established that dosimetry and
3.2.8 RAM—random access memory.
tester limits, coincident upset effects, device heating, and the
3.2.9 VLSI—very large scale integrated circuit.
like, are properly accounted for. Such higher limits may be
needed for testing future smaller geometry parts.
4. Summary of Guide
4.4.8 Particle Fluence Levels—The minimum fluence is that
4.1 The SEP test consists of irradiation of a device with a
fluence required to establish that an observance of no upsets
prescribed heavy ion beam of known energy and flux in such a
corresponds to an acceptable upper bound on the upset cross
way that the number of single event upsets or other phenomena
section with a given confidence. Sufficient fluence should be
can be detected as a function of the beam fluence (particles/
provided to also ensure that the measured number of upset
cm ). For the case where latchup is observed, a series of
events provides an upset cross section whose magnitude lies
measurements is required in which the fluence is recorded at
within acceptable error limits (see 8.2.7.2). In practice, a
7 2
which latchup occurs, in order to obtain an average fluence.
fluence of 10 ions/cm will often meet these requirements.
4.4.9 Accumulated Total Dose—The total accumulated dose
4.2 The beam LET, equivalent to the ion’s stopping power,
shall be recorded for each device. However, it should be noted
dE/dx, (energy/distance), is a fundamental measurement vari-
that the average dose actually represents a few heavy ion
able. A full device characterization requires irradiation with
tracks, <10 nm in diameter, in each charge collection region, so
beams of several different LETs that in turn requires changing
this dose may affect the device physics differently than a
the ion species, energy, or, in some cases, angle of incidence
uniform (for example, gamma) dose deposition. In particular, it
with respect to the chip surface.
is sometimes observed that accumulated dose delivered by
4.3 The final useful end product is a plot of the upset rate or
heavy ions is less damaging than that delivered with uniform
cross section as a function of the beam LET or, equivalently, a
dose deposition.
plot of the average fluence to cause upset as a function of beam
4.4.10 Range of Ions—The range or penetration depth of the
LET. These comments presume that LET, independent of Z, is
energetic ions is an important consideration. An adequate range
a determinant of SE vulnerability. In cases where charge
is especially crucial in detecting latchup, because the relevant
density (or charge density and total charge) per unit distance
junction is often buried deep below the active chip. Some test
determine device response to SEs, results provided solely in
requirements specify an ion range of >30 μm. The U.C.
terms of LET may be incomplete or inaccurate, or both.
Berkeley 88-inch cyclotron and the Brookhaven National
4.4 Test Conditions and Restrictions—Because many fac-
Laboratory Van de Graaff have adequate energy for most ions,
tors enter into the effects of radiation on the device, parties to
but not all. Gold data at BNL is frequently too limited in range
the test should establish and record the test conditions to ensure
to give consistent results when compared to nearby ions of the
test validity and to facilitate comparison with data obtained by
periodic table. Medium-energy sources, such as the K500
other experimenters testing the same type of device. Important
cyclotron at Texas A & M, easily satisfy all range requirements.
factors which must be considered are:
High-energy machines that simulate cosmic ray energies, such
4.4.1 Device Appraisal—A review of existing device data to
as GANIL (Caen, France) and the cyclotron at Darmstadt,
establish basi
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