Pulsed Laser Single-Event Effects in Highly Scaled CMOS Technologies in the Presence of Dense Metal Coverage

• Published in: IEEE transactions on nuclear science Vol. 55; no. 6; pp. 3401 - 3406
• Main Authors: Balasubramanian, A., McMorrow, D., Nation, S.A., Bhuva, B.L., Reed, R.A., Massengill, L.W., Loveless, T.D., Amusan, O.A., Black, J.D., Melinger, J.S., Baze, M.P., Ferlet-Cavrois, V., Gaillardin, M., Schwank, J.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.12.2008; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Absorption; Circuit testing; Circuits; CMOS; CMOS process; CMOS technology; Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS); Laboratories; laser; Lasers; metal-fill; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Optical design; Optical pulses; Power lasers; Pulse circuits; Pulsed lasers; single event (SE); Single event upset; single-photon absorption (SPA); Thresholds; two-photon absorption (TPA)
• ISSN: 0018-9499; 1558-1578
• DOI: 10.1109/TNS.2008.2007295

single-photon (SPA) and two-photon laser absorption (TPA) techniques are established as reliable, effective methods to study specific single-event (SE) phenomena in advanced CMOS technologies. However, dense metal-fill in these nanoscale processes can prevent the use of top-side SPA in some cases. This paper demonstrates a novel methodology enabling top-side laser SPA single-event effects (SEEs) measurements in the presence of dense metal-fill for a test circuit fabricated in a commercial 90 nm CMOS process and validates it using unimpeded, through-wafer TPA approach. This is achieved by measuring and comparing the SEU thresholds for the sample circuit using both techniques.