NT & RP Journal
RAPID AND LONG-TERM GAMMA-RADIATION ANNEALING IN LOW-DROPOUT VOLTAGE REGULATORS
......: info......: history......: editorial......: archive......: for authors......: subscription
Image NTRP

Vol. XXXII, No. 2, Pp. 115-192
June 2017
UDC 621.039+614.876:504.06
ISSN 1451-3994

Back to Contents

 


Pages: 155-165

Authors:

Vladimir Dj. Vukiæ

Abstract

Samples of four types of low-dropout voltage regulators, with both serial pnp and npn transistors, were examined in room-temperature isothermal gamma radiation annealing. After uninterrupted exposure to a total ionising dose of 500 Gy, biased and loaded voltage regulators were examined in room-temperature annealing within the first 30 minutes after the exposure. Beside the on-line measurement of output voltage and quiescent current during the thirty-minute period immediately after irradiation, also results were procured after 10-year room-temperature spontaneous recovery. Data obtained during the irradiation and rapid annealing were fitted with linear, exponential, and power-law regression functions. A simple procedure was proposed, based on the quiescent current annealing factor, for the quick estimation of the integrated voltage regulator's radiation sensitivity during the post-irradiation isothermal annealing. In order to estimate the circuit's radiation sensitivity, immediately after irradiation, tested devices have to be left in the same operating conditions as during the exposure. If a clear trend of the quiescent current recovery can be observed, further examinations have to be implemented to estimate if a circuit is acceptably radiation-tolerant. If no recovery trend can be observed within the first hour after irradiation, or even further degradation is noticed, then the examined voltage regulator is a radiation-sensitive device and cannot be used in radiation environments. The described procedure is based on the macroscopic effects of the radiation-induced charge-trapping in field oxides and interfaces.

Key words: voltage regulator, gamma radiation, quiescent current, annealing factor,
isothermal annealing, post-irradiation effect, regression analysis

FULL PAPER IN PDF FORMAT (732 KB)

Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences :: Designed by milas :: July 2007
Operated by acapanic :: Last updated on July, 2017