Temperature effect on heavy-ion-induced single-event transient propagation in CMOS bulk 0.18 [micro]m inverter chain

Heavy-ion-induced single-event transients (SET) are studied by device simulation on an ATMEL spatial component: the CMOS bulk 0.18 [micro]m inverter. The wide temperature range of a spatial environment (from 218 to 418 K) can modifiy the shape of the SET. Thus, an investigation of the SET propagation through a 10-inverter logic chain is performed in the 218-418 K temperature range, and the threshold LET (LETth) required for unattenuated propagation through the inverter chain is determined. The LETth is calculated for two different locations of the heavy ion impact and for three temperature values. An increase of the sensitivity is found when the temperature is raised from 218 to 418 K. Index Terms--CMOS, heavy ion, LET, single event transient (SET), technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation, temperature dependence.