Radiation Effects on Emerging Electronic Materials and Devices

Ron Schrimpf

Vanderbilt University

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Department

Institute for Space and Defense Electronics

Radiation Effects on Emerging Electronic Materials and Devices

• More changes in IC technology and materials in past five years than previous forty years– SiGe, SOI, strained Si, alternative dielectrics, new

metallization systems, ultra-small devices…

• Future space and defense systems require understanding radiation effects in advanced technologies– Changes in device geometry and materials affect

energy deposition, charge collection, circuit upset, parametric degradation…

Team Members

• Vanderbilt University– Electrical Engineering: Mike Alles, Dan Fleetwood, Ken Galloway, Marcus

Mendenhall, Lloyd Massengill, Robert Reed, Ron Schrimpf, Bob Weller– Physics: Len Feldman, Sok Pantelides

• Arizona State University– Electrical Engineering: Hugh Barnaby

• University of Florida– Electrical and Computer Engineering: Mark Law, Scott Thompson

• Georgia Tech– Electrical and Computer Engineering: John Cressler

• North Carolina State University– Physics: Gerry Lucovsky

• Rutgers University– Chemistry: Eric Garfunkel, Gennadi Bersuker

• Industrial and government collaborators– IBM, Intel, Texas Instruments, Freescale, Jazz, National Semiconductor,

SRC/Sematech, Sandia, NASA/DTRA, Lockheed-Martin, Oak Ridge National Lab, CFDRC

Institute for Space and Defense Electronics

Resource to support national requirements in radiation effects analysis and rad-hard design

Bring academic resources/expertise and real-world engineering to bear on system-driven needs

ISDE provides:• Government and industry radiation-effects resource

– Modeling and simulation– Design support: rad models, hardening by design– Technology support: assessment, characterization

• Flexible staffing driven by project needs– 10 Faculty– 25 Graduate students– 14 Staff and Research Engineers

Schedule—June 14 AM

8:40 MURI OverviewRon Schrimpf, Vanderbilt University

9:00 Overview: Atomic-Scale Theory of Radiation-Induced PhenomenaSokrates Pantelides, Vanderbilt University

9:20 Hf Impurities in Si-SiO2-Si StacksApostolos Marinopoulos, Vanderbilt University

9:35 Quantum Mechanical Description of Displacement Damage FormationMatt Beck, Vanderbilt University

9:55 Role of Hydrogen in Radiation Response of Lateral PNP Bipolar TransistorsSasha Batyrev, Vanderbilt University

10:10 Doping-Type Dependence of Damage in Silicon DiodesDan Fleetwood, Vanderbilt University

10:30 Break11:00 Defects in Non-Crystalline and Nano-Crystalline Alternative Transition Metal Dielectrics

Gerry Lucovsky, North Carolina State University11:40 Total Dose Response of HfSiON MOS Capacitors

Dakai Chen, Vanderbilt University

Schedule—June 14 PM

1:00 Overview: Radiation Effects in Emerging MaterialsLen Feldman, Vanderbilt University

1:20 Radiation-Induced Charge Trapping in Ultra-Thin HfO2 Based MOSFETsSriram Dixit, Vanderbilt University

1:40 Radiation Effects in Advanced Gate StacksEric Garfunkel, Rutgers UniversityGennadi Bersuker, Sematech

2:20 Break2:50 Radiation Effects in SiGe Devices

John Cressler, Georgia Tech3:30 Effects of Angle of Incidence and Temperature on Latchup in 65-nm Technology

John Hutson, Vanderbilt University3:50 Radiation Challenges in Strained Si Technologies

Scott Thompson, University of Florida4:30 Discussion6:30 Dinner

Schedule—June 158:00 Registration and Continental Breakfast 8:30 Total Ionizing Dose Effects in Deep Submicron Bulk CMOS Technologies

Hugh Barnaby, Arizona State University8:50 Band-to-Band Tunneling Induced Leakage Current Enhancement in Irradiated FD-SOI

Philippe Adell, JPL9:10 Enhanced Radiation-Induced Degradation due to Excess Molecular Hydrogen

Jie Chen, Arizona State University 9:30 Enabling Radiation-Effects Device Simulations

Mark Law, University of Florida9:50 Overview: Monte Carlo Radiative Energy Deposition

Bob Weller, Vanderbilt University10:10 Impact of Ion Energy and Specie on Single Event Effects Analysis

Robert Reed, Vanderbilt University10:30 Break – High Speed SEE Test Set Demonstration in FGH 31011:00 Variation in Proton-Induced Energy Deposition in Large Silicon Diode Arrays

Christina Howe, Vanderbilt University11:20 Neutron-Induced Multiple-Bit Upset

Alan Tipton and Jonny Pellish, Vanderbilt University11:40 Effect of Voltage Fluctuations on SET Response of Deep Submicron Digital ICs

Matt Gadlage, Vanderbilt University12:00 Meeting Ends

DURIP-funded High-Speed SEE Test Equipment

• 12.5 Gbit/s bit error rate tester• 31.5 GHz analog signal generator• 12 GHz real-time digital storage

oscilloscope•DC-40 GHz RF coax assemblies

• Requires high-speed packaging

•DC-40 GHz probe station• 100 nm-step resolution stage•Configure horizontally or

vertically• NIR laser irradiation• Broadbeam heavy ion

• Eliminates need for high-speed packaging

Radiation Effects in Emerging Electronic Materials and Devices

Motivation

Selected Results Impact

• Development of most accurate rate-prediction tool to date• Identification of tungsten as key rad-effects issue• Fabrication of rad-hard, reliable HfSiON gate dielectrics• Demonstration of extremely rad-hard SiGe technology• First examination of rad effects in strained-Si CMOS

• More changes in IC technology and materials in past five years than previous forty years—impact on radiation response is dramatic

• Experimental analysis of state-of-the-art technologies through partnerships with semiconductor manufacturers

• Identification of critical mechanisms through first-principles modeling

• Implementation and application of a revolutionary multi-scale radiation-effects simulation tool to identify key challenges and develop hardening approaches

Approach

• Design tools and methods demonstrated for future rad-hard technologies

• Greatly improved error-rate analysis tools allow implementation of more reliable space electronics

• First radiation-effects characterization of most advanced technologies (strained Si, HfSiON, etc.)—essential for deployment of state-of-the-art electronics in DoD systems

Radiation Effects in Emerging Electronic Materials and Devices: Results

Radiation Response of New Materials

Single Events in New Technologies Localized Radiation Damage• RADSAFE—First multi-scale Monte Carlo single-event/rate-

prediction tool• Passivation/metallization found to dominate SEE response in

some hardened technologies• Excellent agreement with on-orbit data; conventional rate-

prediction methods underestimate rate by orders of magnitude

• Incorporation of new materials dramatically impacts radiation response

• HfO2-based dielectrics and emerging high-k materials tested; HfSiON is very promising

• Substrate engineering (strained Si, Si orientations, Si/SiGe, SOI) offers possibility for single-event hardening

• New device technologies strongly impact single-event response and TID leakage current

• SiGe HBTs, strained Si CMOS, ultra-small bulk CMOS exhibit complicated charge collection mechanisms

• Floating-body SOI found to exhibit high radiation-induced off-state leakage due to tunneling

Impact of New Device Structures

• First-principles evidence of micro-melting in small devices

• Displacement damage found to depend on substrate doping type

• Monte-Carlo simulation tool for non-ionizing energy loss developed

Radiation Effects on Emerging Electronic Materials and Devices: Recent Results

New Error-Rate Prediction Tool

First Radiation Results on HfSiON First dynamical calculation of displace-ment damage from first principles•Hf-based dielectrics

emerging at 45-nm and below

•Much improved radiation response compared to standard Hf silicate films

•Interface nitridation is the key to hardness

• Conventional methods underestimate error rate by orders of magnitude

• New RADSAFE approach provides outstanding agreement with on-orbit data

• Demonstrates that tungsten metallization can dramatically impact error rate

• Multiple-bit upsets are the key reliability issue in advanced memories

• Predicting MBU rate allows design of ECC and memory architecture

• Fraction of events resulting in MBUs doubles for grazing angles

First Neutron MBU Calculations

• Very large disordered regions can lead to single-event hard and soft errors

• Key reliability issue at 65 nm and below

• Possible explanation for dielectric rupture

Radiation Effects on Emerging Electronic Materials and Devices: Recent Results

Effects of Strain on SEE

New Gate Dielectrics SEE in SiGe HBTs•Hf-based dielectrics

emerging in new technologies

•Combined effects of radiation and negative-bias temperature stress much greater than expected

• First experiments to vary strain during SEE testing planned for 2007

• Strain leads to enhanced mobility and non-isotropic transport

• Almost all advanced CMOS will use strain engineering

• Quantitative analysis of MBU rate in advanced SRAMs

• Fraction of events resulting in MBUs increases for new technologies

• Explanation of SEE sensitivity of cells resistant to single strikes

Multiple-Bit Upset

• Microbeam testing shows charge collection from distant strikes

• Mechanisms identified through simulation

• Hardening approach proposed

New Physically-Based Method of Predicting Single-Event Error Rates

MREDSPICE

Sensitive Volumes

TCAD

Critical ChargeSolid Model

Materials

Error RateCross Section

Sensitive Volumes

Circuit ResponseTransport Calorimetry

Cross Section

Error Rate

TransportCalorimetry

Circuit Response

Materials

Environment(Beam/Natural)

LocationsDimensions