Single Event Upset Mechanisms for Low - Energy - Deposition Events in SiGe HBTs
Montes, Enrique Jose
:
2007-12-31
Abstract
Silicon Germanium (SiGe) Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBTs) are a new candidate technology for space applications due to their superior performance to traditional bipolar transistors and tolerance of total ionizing dose (TID) and displacement effects from space radiation. However, SiGe HBTS are susceptible to low energy ion inducing Single Event Upsets (SEUs), another form of space radiation. The high susceptibility of these devices to SEU is a reliability concern for the technology’s use in space applications. The Rectangular Parallel-Piped (RPP) model fails to predict the results of broadbeam testing on these devices. The observations made through this work offer new insights into the mechanisms that must be treated to arrive at such a model.
This work presents evidence through microbeam testing and Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations that the isolation technology used in design of the SiGe HBT plays a unique role in the charge collection process of low energy deposition events in these devices. A interplay between the ions angle of incidence and its interaction with the deep trench isolation (DTI) account for its unexpected response. These results will be shown through microbeam testing of an IBM 7HP SiGe HBT and TCAD simulations on an IBM 5AM SiGe HBT.