Single event transient analysis of an SOI operational amplifier for use in low-temperature Martian exploration

Abstract: The next generation of Martian rovers to be launched by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are to examine polar regions where temperatures are extremely low and the absence of an earth-like atmosphere results in high levels of cosmic radiation at ground level. Cosmic rays lead to a plethora of radiation effects including Single Event Transients which can severely degrade microelectronic functionality. As such, a radiation-hardened, temperature compensated CMOS Single-on-insulator (SOI) Operational Amplifier has been designed for JPL by the University of Tennessee and fabricated by Honeywell using the SOI V process. SOI technology has been shown to be far less sensitive to transient effects than both bulk and epilayer Si. Broad beam heavy-ion tests at the University of Texas A&M using Kr and Xe beams of energy 25MeV/amu were performed to ascertain the duration and severity of the SET for the op-amp configured for a low and high gain application. However, some ambiguity regarding the location of transient formation required the use of a focused MeV ion microbeam. A 36MeV O6+ microbeam at the Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) was used to image and verify regions of particular concern. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]