Ion Beam Induced Charge Collection (IBICC) microscopy of ICs: Relation to Single Event Upsets (SEU)

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7280561

Horn, K M; Doyle, B L; Sexton, F W ^[1]; Laird, J S; Saint, A; Cholewa, M; Legge, G J.F. ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Melbourne Univ., Parkville (Australia). Micro Analytical Research Center (MARC)

Single Event Upset (SEU) Imaging is a new diagnostic technique recently developed using Sandia's nuclear microprobe. This technique directly images, with micron resolution, those regions within an integrated circuit which are susceptible to ion-induced malfunctions. Such malfunctions are an increasing threat to space-based systems which make use of current generation IC designs. A complimentary technique to SEU-Imaging involves measurement of the charge collection volumes within integrated circuits; charge collection is the underlying physical process responsible for single event phenomena. This technique, which we term. Ion Beam Induced Charge Collection (IBICC) has been used here and elsewhere to generate micron resolution maps of the charge collection response of integrated circuits. In this paper, we demonstrate the utility of combining the SEU-Imaging and IBICC techniques in order to gain a better understanding of single event upset phenomena. High resolution IBICC images are used to extract more detailed information from charge collection spectra than that obtained from conventional broad-area ion exposures, such as from radioactive sources. Lastly, we will comment on the applications for IBICC as a replacement of Electron Beam Induced Conduction/Current (EBIC) measurements. As reductions in circuit feature size continue in the sub-micron regime, IBICC could certainly prove to be a technologically valuable replacement for EBlC and an important business opportunity for all nuclear microprobe facilities. 12 ref.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 7280561
• Report Number(s): SAND-92-0430C; CONF-9206201-1; ON: DE92016551
• Resource Relation: Conference: 3. international conference on nuclear microprobe technology and applications, Uppsala (Sweden), 8-12 Jun 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
ION MICROSCOPY
CHARGE COLLECTION
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
IMAGES
ION BEAMS
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
BEAMS
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROSCOPY
RESOLUTION
426000* - Engineering- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits- (1990-)
440800 - Miscellaneous Instrumentation- (1990-)