Abstract Scaling of semiconductor technologies has created concern that future generations of integrated circuits will exhibit unacceptable levels of reliability due to radiation-induced soft errors. Each error is a transient effect produced by the interaction of a single ionizing particle with a sensitive device. These particles may be produced by the reactions of cosmic rays in the atmosphere or they may originate from trace amounts of radioactive materials in packages or the surrounding environment. While these issues are particularly serious for space systems, they are becoming an increasing concern for terrestrial applications that demand high reliability. In addition to soft errors, electronics also may suffer parametric degradation or catastrophic failure caused by exposure to radiation. This talk will include an overview of critical radiation-related issues that affect advanced semiconductor technologies. A new simulation-based methodology for analyzing radiation effects, based on simulating large numbers of individual events on a cluster supercomputer, will be described.

Bio:
Ron Schrimpf is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where his research activities focus on microelectronics and semiconductor devices. In particular, he has a very active research program dealing with the effects of radiation on semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. Ron also is the Director of Vanderbilt?s Institute for Space and Defense Electronics (ISDE). The engineering staff of ISDE performs design, analysis, and modeling work for a variety of space- and defense-oriented organizations, as well as commercial semiconductor companies. Ron received his BEE, MSEE, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota in 1981, 1984, and 1986, respectively. He was at the University of Arizona from 1986-1996, where he served as a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Ron joined Vanderbilt in 1996 and was an Invited Professor at the University of Montpellier II, France, in 2000. He recently served as the Chairman of the IEEE NPSS Radiation Effects Steering Group. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, four-time winner of the Outstanding Paper Award at the IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference, and he received the IEEE NPSS Early Achievement Award. Ron has authored or co-authored over 250 journal papers dealing with radiation effects and semiconductor devices.