"Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) MOSFETs
for Radiation Tolerance in Space Environments"

Josh Forgione
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Abstract

Bulk silicon substrates are a common characteristic of nearly all commercial, CMOS, integrated circuits. Although bulk CMOS devices operate well on Earth, they are not so well received in the space environment. An alternative to bulk MOSFETs is the Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) MOSFET, in which a dielectric isolates device layer from the substrate. SOI behavior in the space environment has certain inherent advantages over bulk; a primary factor in its long-time appeal to space-flight, VLSI designers.

This discussion will investigate the behavior of the SOI device with respect to the space radiation environment. Discussions on the SOI MOSFET behavior and space radiation environment facilitate an examination of radiation damage in SOI due to Total Ionized Dose (TID) and single-event effects. Examples from the literature are used to illustrate the difference in radiation response of SOI compared to bulk.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction

  2. Brief Discussion of Space Environment

  3. Discussion of Radiation Effects: TID, Single-Event Effects

  4. SOI MOSFET Operation

  5. Radiation Effects on SOI & Bulk MOSFET Devices due to Space-Borne Radiation

  6. Conclusion

 

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