Technology Developments in Radiation-Hardened …

1 Technology Developments in Radiation-Hardened Electronics for Space Environments By Andrew S. Keys1) and Joe T. Howell1). 1). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA. The radiation hardened Electronics for Space Environments (RHESE) project consists of a series of tasks designed to develop and mature a broad spectrum of radiation hardened and low temperature electronics technologies. Three approaches are being taken to address radiation hardening: improved material hardness, design techniques to improve radiation tolerance, and software methods to improve radiation tolerance. Within these approaches various Technology products are being addressed including Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), Field Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAA), MEMS, Serial Processors, Reconfigurable Processors, and Parallel Processors.

2 In addition to radiation hardening, low temperature extremes are addressed with a focus on material and design approaches. System level applications for the RHESE Technology products are discussed. Key Words: Radiation-Hardened , microelectronics, extreme environments, FPGA, SiGe 1. Introduction environmentally- hardened electronics within RHESE are accomplished through focused Technology tasks. The The Radiation-Hardened Electronics for Space specific verification and validation approach varies with each Exploration (RHESE) project is one of many Technology Technology and is addressed more specifically in each development efforts within NASA's Exploration Technology Technology description.

3 In general, a ground-based Development Program (ETDP). This program exists to demonstration in a relevant environment validates a ensure the Technology needs of NASA's current and future Technology product. Products are then ready for customer missions have available the appropriate enabling and missions to flight test and qualify as part of their specific enhancing technologies when needed. The RHESE project application of these Technology products. provides a full spectrum of approaches to harden space electronics against the radiation and thermal extremes of the 2. RHESE Technology Tasks space environment. Hardening approaches include new materials, design processes, reconfigurable hardware Described below are the active Technology development techniques, and software modeling tools.

4 The primary tasks within the RHESE project for fiscal year 2008. Each customers of RHESE technologies will be the missions being Technology task section includes a brief task description, developed under NASA's Constellation program within the Technology approach, and a summary of planned products Exploration Mission Systems Directorate (ESMD), including and applications available for utilization by the Technology the lunar and Mars missions that will serve to accomplish the customer. goals of the Vision for Space Exploration. Applicable Modeling of radiation Effects on Electronics Constellation program missions include the Orion Crew (MREE).

5 Exploration Vehicle's (CEV's) lunar capability, the Lunar RHESE is developing an update to the existing predictive Lander project, Lunar Surface System elements, and Extra modeling capabilities of radiation effects and how they affect Vehicular Activity (EVA) elements. Secondary customers modern advanced electronic architectures. Referenced to as for RHESE technologies include NASA science missions, MREE, this modeling tool will be employed to guide the collaborative efforts with other agencies of the US selection of modern radiation hardened components for use Government, and commercial applications. NASA's in space systems.

6 Designers may also use this model to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) manages the RHESE predict the mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) of their project. circuit designs when selecting state-of-the-art commercial or Three broad-based approaches are being taken to address Radiation-Hardened electronics for use in their flight avionics. radiation hardening within the RHESE: improved The MREE task will develop a tool to estimate and predict electronic material hardness against radiation , design and the frequency of the various single event effects such as logic configuration techniques to improve radiation hardness and upsets and circuit latch-up as well as the total radiation dose tolerance, and software methods to model, predict, and effects within these microelectronic devices as operated in improve radiation hardness and tolerance of devices.

7 The space environment. Within these approaches various Technology products are The Monte Carlo method will be used within the MREE. being developed. The specific approaches to developing simulation tool - allowing the shielding effect of the vehicle's 1. exact structure to be considered when assessing the explicitly accounted for. The second goal of the project is susceptibility of a particular microelectronic circuit to high to estimate SEE rates using a physics-based description of energy particle radiation . This approach also allows the charge transport and collection within the semiconductor exact physical structure of the microelectronic circuit and the device.

8 Two approaches will be attempted: direct calculation exact pattern of hole-electron creation within that circuit as is currently done with commercial software tools such as structure to be taken into account such that the resulting Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) and charges and currents within the circuit can be determined Technology -specific approximated calculations based on accurately. The tool will be developed jointly by MSFC generalizations from TCAD results in specific devices. and Vanderbilt University. Single Event Effect (SEE)-Immune Reconfigurable The resulting model code will be used to propagate a large Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) (SIRF).

9 Sample of particles from the external environment though the This task is managed and supported by Goddard Space vehicle and the device. This allows accurate estimates to be Flight Center (GSFC), but is primarily led by the Air Force made of total dose and the single event rates for the chip Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Sandia National under investigation in its location within the space vehicle Laboratory (SNL) in partnership with Xilinx and the under any external environment model and in any orbit that University of Idaho Center for Advanced Microelectronics is chosen. This model will be made available over the and Biomedical Research.

10 Collectively, these contributors internet so that engineers can obtain total dose and single are collaboratively developing the design technologies event effect rate estimates on line as is now possible with the required to implement a radiation -tolerant version of the industry standard CREME96 simulation models. Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA. The resulting FPGA will yield the MREE Technical Approach benefits of reconfigurable hardware without the typical MSFC will provide the models for the radiation encumbrances of a larger chip area, lower processing speed, environments to be used for the estimation of single event higher power consumption, or higher complexities typically effects and total dose under various space weather conditions.