Modelling CMOS radiation tolerance in the high-dose range

Abstract

This paper refines a "four-lane" physical model for CMOS devices, first published in 1994. The growth of threshold voltage as a function of radiation dose in a very wide range of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) devices, all the way from low (kilorad) to very high (gigarad) doses. The parameters of four LANE-LIKE OR CORRIDOR-LIKE REGIONS on the growth curve diagram are extracted. The resulting FOUR-LANE CLASSIFICATION is useful in selecting CMOS technologies and offers a new terminology for describing the radiation tolerance of ICs and could form the basis of a "league table", used to assess the performance of "hardening laboratories" around the world.