Total Ionizing Dose Effect on PMOS Power Transistors

• Grant number: 22/09131-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2022
• End date: September 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Marcilei Aparecida Guazzelli
• Grantee: Paulo Roberto Garcia Junior
• Host Institution: Centro Universitário FEI (UNIFEI). Campus de São Bernardo do Campo. São Bernardo do Campo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Electronic devices exposed to ionizing radiation can suffer damage that can change the properties that characterize the device, modifying the electrical parameters and, in the case of memories or processors, modifying the information contained in these devices. Faced with this problem, the development of radiation-resistant electronic devices and their qualification as to be more tolerant to the effects of ionizing radiation require qualified personnel, with specific knowledge of the physical mechanisms acting on the devices when exposed to radiation. To study the behavior of devices under these conditions, it is necessary to know how to characterize it properly, according to the damage caused by a given dose of radiation, and the type of ionizing radiation. It is worth mentioning that this topic is extremely important for this strategic area of research to be self-sufficient in our country and also that the Centro Universitário FEI participates in the most important national project, financed by FINEP - CITAR: Integrated Circuits Tolerant to Radiation - which aims to consolidate this knowledge in Brazil. This research project aims to study the effects of ionizing radiation from X-rays on electronic devices, specifically PMOS (metal - oxide - P-type semiconductor) power transistors. The transistors that will be characterized make up the PPTLEXT06SOID4 IC, designed by researchers at the Renato Archer Information Technology Center (Campinas). The transistors will be exposed to different X-ray radiation dose rates of 10 keV, in order to study how the radiation acts on the characteristics of a power device. In this way, it will be possible to correlate the physical mechanisms responsible for the effects of radiation in the devices with the alterations in the characteristic parameters, and to verify the tolerance of this device when subjected to a severe environment, as in embedded systems in the space area.