A Methodology to Estimate Single-Event Effects Induced by Low-Energy Protons
<p>Elastic reaction leading to the deflection of the incident nucleon and the recoil of the target nucleus [<a href="#B18-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">18</a>]. The recoil ion may be responsible for an SEE.</p> "> Figure 2
<p>Nonelastic reaction leading to the production of secondary particles [<a href="#B18-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">18</a>]. The secondaries may ionize the matter and trigger SEE.</p> "> Figure 3
<p>Nuclear cross-sections for p + <sup>28</sup>Si interaction. Data from IAEA database [<a href="#B23-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">23</a>].</p> "> Figure 4
<p>Differential cross-section for incident neutrons and protons at 5 MeV and as a function of recoiling energy.</p> "> Figure 5
<p>Differential cross-section for incident neutrons and protons at 10 MeV and as a function of recoiling energy.</p> "> Figure 6
<p>Elastic cross-section as a function of proton energy for different threshold recoil energies.</p> "> Figure 7
<p>Illustration of an elastic collision in the BEOL. The recoiling silicon loses energy along its track and can reach the sensitive region with different LET.</p> "> Figure 8
<p>Cumulative probability to obtain a silicon recoil with a LET > LET<span class="html-italic"><sub>th</sub></span> for different proton energies. In this example, the BEOL thickness is 10 μm. The sensitive region layer is 1 μm.</p> "> Figure 9
<p>Heavy-ion cross-section for 90 nm SRAM fitted with a power law. Experimental data taken from [<a href="#B29-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">29</a>].</p> "> Figure 10
<p>Heavy-ion cross-section for 65 nm SRAM fitted with a power law. Experimental data taken from [<a href="#B28-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">28</a>].</p> "> Figure 11
<p>Heavy-ion cross-section for 40 nm SRAM fitted with a power law. Experimental data taken from [<a href="#B29-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">29</a>].</p> "> Figure 12
<p>SEU cross-section calculation for 90 nm SRAM. Experimental data taken from [<a href="#B29-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">29</a>].</p> "> Figure 13
<p>SEU cross-section calculation for 65 nm SRAM. Experimental data taken from [<a href="#B28-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">28</a>].</p> "> Figure 14
<p>SEU cross-section calculation for 40 nm SRAM. Experimental data taken from [<a href="#B29-eng-05-00017" class="html-bibr">29</a>].</p> ">
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Particle-Matter Interaction Background
- Capture process—the incident proton or neutron is captured by the target nucleus, leading to the subsequent emission of gamma radiation to de-excite the resulting nucleus. Both particles require sufficient energy to initiate capture, and quantum mechanical effects further influence the probability, often resulting in relatively low capture probabilities. Additionally, the nuclear shell structure, which dictates the availability of energy states within the nucleus, can impact the probability of capture. Competing interactions, resonance effects, and isotope-specific properties contribute to this phenomenon. The low cross-section for neutron and proton capture results from intricate interplays between charge considerations, energy thresholds, quantum mechanics, nuclear structure, and isotope-specific behavior, demanding specific conditions and energies for these capture events to occur [17]. In this sense, we will not discuss this process in this work.
- Elastic process—the incident proton or neutron undergoes scattering by the target nucleus, resulting in the recoil of the target nucleus due to energy and momentum transfer. Figure 1 illustrates the elastic mechanism. The elastic scattering process involves the interaction of a nucleon with a target nucleus without any change in the system’s internal energy, i.e., the conservation of total kinetic energy [18]. When a nucleon approaches a nucleus, it experiences a potential energy field due to the positive charge of the nucleus. If the nucleon has sufficient energy to overcome this potential barrier, it gets closer to the nucleus. During this interaction, the nucleon also exchanges energy and momentum with the nucleus, resulting in a change in direction for both particles. During this recoil, the ion generated can potentially trigger SEE [19,20].
- Nonelastic process—the incident proton or neutron can excite or fragment the target nucleus. Unlike the elastic process, there is no conservation of kinetic energy. This process often leads to the generation of secondary particles, including ions that can trigger failures in electronic devices [18]. Figure 2 illustrates the nonelastic mechanism. In this process, the target nucleus may absorb the nucleon, forming a new compound nucleus or initiating nuclear reactions. Alternatively, the nucleon may induce inelastic scattering, exciting the nucleus to a higher energy state before being emitted [18,20].
- Coulomb interaction with the electrons—This interaction corresponds to the direct ionization of the primary proton when it interacts with the electrons of the medium. The process involves the transfer of energy from the proton to the electrons, leading to the ionization of the medium and potentially causing SEE in electronic devices [20,21].
- Coulomb interaction with the nuclei—In this elastic process, protons interact with the nuclei of the medium through the Coulomb force, resulting in the recoil of the impinged nucleus. This recoil can induce secondary ionization and contribute to the overall SEE rate in electronic devices. The total elastic process during proton–nucleus interaction is therefore attributed to the sum of two different processes: the strong force interaction and the Coulomb interaction [22].
Main Process below 10 MeV
3. SEE Cross-Section Calculation Method
3.1. Nuclear Elastic Cross-Section Analysis
3.2. Typical Ion Recoiling Ranges
3.3. Energy Loss Modeling
3.4. Cumulative Probability Calculation
4. Results and Discussion
- More information about the BEOL thickness;
- More details about the BEOL composition;
- More experimental data points for heavy ions, especially between 0.2 and 0.8 MeV·cm2/mg.
- To calculate the differential cross-section, we used the DHORIN code, but other tools may be available; however, it is mandatory to consider the Coulomb scattering.
- It is very important to account for the loss of energy of the primary proton, as it will determine the secondary ion energy distribution.
- We must account for the distance that the secondaries will travel before reaching the sensitive region.
- The calculation of the SEE cross-section for protons should not be calculated with a simple-step function, as it may lead to a major discrepancy.
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
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Incident Particle | Reaction Products | Reaction Kind | Reaction Threshold (MeV) |
---|---|---|---|
Neutrons | 29Si + γ | capture | 0 |
28Si + n | elastic | 0 | |
28Si + n | nonelastic | 1.78 | |
25Mg + α | 2.75 | ||
28Al + p | 4.00 | ||
27Al + d | 9.70 | ||
Protons | 29Si + γ | capture | 0 |
28Si + p | elastic | 0 | |
25Al + α | nonelastic | 7.99 |
Gate Length (nm) | Qc (fC) | LETth (MeV·cm2/mg) | Eth (keV) |
---|---|---|---|
250 | 8 | 1.99 | 180 |
130 | 2.5 | 1.34 | 56 |
90 | 1.2 | 0.87 | 27 |
65 | 0.8 | 0.82 | 18 |
Proton energy (MeV) | 1 | 5 | 10 |
Proton range in Si (μm) | 16 | 200 | 700 |
Maximum recoiling energy of Si (MeV) | 0.13 | 0.68 | 1.30 |
Maximum LET of the recoil in Si (MeV·cm2/mg) | 2.8 | 4.1 | 6.2 |
Maximum range of recoiling Si in Si (μm) | 0.18 | 2.70 | 3.50 |
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Marques, C.; Wrobel, F.; Aguiar, Y.; Michez, A.; Boch, J.; Saigné, F.; García Alía, R. A Methodology to Estimate Single-Event Effects Induced by Low-Energy Protons. Eng 2024, 5, 319-332. https://doi.org/10.3390/eng5010017
Marques C, Wrobel F, Aguiar Y, Michez A, Boch J, Saigné F, García Alía R. A Methodology to Estimate Single-Event Effects Induced by Low-Energy Protons. Eng. 2024; 5(1):319-332. https://doi.org/10.3390/eng5010017
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarques, Cleiton, Frédéric Wrobel, Ygor Aguiar, Alain Michez, Jérôme Boch, Frédéric Saigné, and Rubén García Alía. 2024. "A Methodology to Estimate Single-Event Effects Induced by Low-Energy Protons" Eng 5, no. 1: 319-332. https://doi.org/10.3390/eng5010017
APA StyleMarques, C., Wrobel, F., Aguiar, Y., Michez, A., Boch, J., Saigné, F., & García Alía, R. (2024). A Methodology to Estimate Single-Event Effects Induced by Low-Energy Protons. Eng, 5(1), 319-332. https://doi.org/10.3390/eng5010017