Thermal neutron-induced single-event upsets in microcontrollers containing boron-10

doi:10.1109/TNS.2019.2951996

This content will become publicly available on November 6, 2020

Title: Thermal neutron-induced single-event upsets in microcontrollers containing boron-10

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Abstract

Single-event upsets (SEUs) were measured in thermal neutron-irradiated microcontrollers with 65-nm node and 130-nm node SRAMs. The suspected upset mechanism is charge deposition from the energetic byproducts of ¹⁰B thermal neutron capture. Although elemental analysis confirmed that both microcontrollers contain ¹⁰B, only the 65-nm node microcontroller exhibited a strong response to thermal neutrons. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to investigate the effects of ¹¹B enrichment on thermal neutron-induced SEUs in a 65-nm SRAM node when boron is present in the p-type well, p-type source and drain, or tungsten plug. Simulations indicate that the byproducts of ¹⁰B(n,α) ⁷Li reactions are capable of generating sufficient charge to upset a 65-nm SRAM. Finally, the highest amount of charge deposition from ¹⁰B(n,α) ⁷Li reaction byproducts occurs when natural boron is used to dope the p-type source and drain regions. Simulations also show that the SEU cross section is non-negligible when ¹¹B-enriched boron is used for doping.

Authors:

Auden, Elizabeth C. ^[1]; Quinn, Heather M. ^[1]; Wender, Stephen A. ^[1]; O'Donnell, John M. ^[1]; Lisowski, Paul W. ^[1]; George, Jeffrey S. ^[1]; Xu, Ning ^[1]; Black, Dolores A. ^[2]; Black, Jeffrey D. ^[2]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: 2019-11-06

Research Org.:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1574802

Report Number(s):: SAND2019-7606J
Journal ID: ISSN 0018-9499; 677058

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science; Journal ID: ISSN 0018-9499

Publisher:: IEEE

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: microcontrollers; neutron; radiation effects; semiconductor device doping; semiconductor device modeling; single event effects; SRAM cells

Citation Formats


                    Auden, Elizabeth C., Quinn, Heather M., Wender, Stephen A., O'Donnell, John M., Lisowski, Paul W., George, Jeffrey S., Xu, Ning, Black, Dolores A., and Black, Jeffrey D. Thermal neutron-induced single-event upsets in microcontrollers containing boron-10.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
        Web.  doi:10.1109/TNS.2019.2951996.

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                    Auden, Elizabeth C., Quinn, Heather M., Wender, Stephen A., O'Donnell, John M., Lisowski, Paul W., George, Jeffrey S., Xu, Ning, Black, Dolores A., & Black, Jeffrey D. Thermal neutron-induced single-event upsets in microcontrollers containing boron-10.  United States.  doi:10.1109/TNS.2019.2951996.

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                    Auden, Elizabeth C., Quinn, Heather M., Wender, Stephen A., O'Donnell, John M., Lisowski, Paul W., George, Jeffrey S., Xu, Ning, Black, Dolores A., and Black, Jeffrey D. Wed .  
        "Thermal neutron-induced single-event upsets in microcontrollers containing boron-10".  United States.  doi:10.1109/TNS.2019.2951996.

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@article{osti_1574802,

  title        = {Thermal neutron-induced single-event upsets in microcontrollers containing boron-10},

  author       = {Auden, Elizabeth C. and Quinn, Heather M. and Wender, Stephen A. and O'Donnell, John M. and Lisowski, Paul W. and George, Jeffrey S. and Xu, Ning and Black, Dolores A. and Black, Jeffrey D.},

  abstractNote = {Single-event upsets (SEUs) were measured in thermal neutron-irradiated microcontrollers with 65-nm node and 130-nm node SRAMs. The suspected upset mechanism is charge deposition from the energetic byproducts of 10B thermal neutron capture. Although elemental analysis confirmed that both microcontrollers contain 10B, only the 65-nm node microcontroller exhibited a strong response to thermal neutrons. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to investigate the effects of 11B enrichment on thermal neutron-induced SEUs in a 65-nm SRAM node when boron is present in the p-type well, p-type source and drain, or tungsten plug. Simulations indicate that the byproducts of 10B(n,α)7Li reactions are capable of generating sufficient charge to upset a 65-nm SRAM. Finally, the highest amount of charge deposition from 10B(n,α)7Li reaction byproducts occurs when natural boron is used to dope the p-type source and drain regions. Simulations also show that the SEU cross section is non-negligible when 11B-enriched boron is used for doping.},

  doi          = {10.1109/TNS.2019.2951996},

  journal      = {IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science},

  number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {11}

}

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