abstract: The space environment comprises cosmic ray particles, heavy ions and high energy electrons and protons. Microelectronic circuits used in space applications such as satellites and space stations are prone to upsets induced by these particles. With transistor dimensions shrinking due to continued scaling, terrestrial integrated circuits are also increasingly susceptible to radiation upsets. Hence radiation hardening is a requirement for microelectronic circuits used in both space and terrestrial applications. This work begins by exploring the different radiation hardened flip-flops that have been proposed in the literature and classifies them based on the different hardening techniques. A reduced power delay element for the temporal hardening of sequential digital circuits is presented. The delay element single event transient tolerance is demonstrated by simulations using it in a radiation hardened by design master slave flip-flop (FF). Using the proposed delay element saves up to 25% total FF power at 50% activity factor. The delay element is used in the implementation of an 8-bit, 8051 designed in the TSMC 130 nm bulk CMOS. A single impinging ionizing radiation particle is increasingly likely to upset multiple circuit nodes and produce logic transients that contribute to the soft error rate in most modern scaled process technologies. The design of flip-flops is made more difficult with increasing multi-node charge collection, which requires that charge storage and other sensitive nodes be separated so that one impinging radiation particle does not affect redundant nodes simultaneously. We describe a correct-by-construction design methodology to determine a-priori which hardened FF nodes must be separated, as well as a general interleaving scheme to achieve this separation. We apply the methodology to radiation hardened flip-flops and demonstrate optimal circuit physical organization for protection against multi-node charge collection. Finally, the methodology is utilized to provide critical node separation for a new hardened flip-flop design that reduces the power and area by 31% and 35% respectively compared to a temporal FF with similar hardness. The hardness is verified and compared to other published designs via the proposed systematic simulation approach that comprehends multiple node charge collection and tests resiliency to upsets at all internal and input nodes. Comparison of the hardness, as measured by estimated upset cross-section, is made to other published designs. Additionally, the importance of specific circuit design aspects to achieving hardness is shown. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2015

En raison de leur impact sur la fiabilité des systèmes, les effets du rayonnement cosmique sur l’électronique ont été étudiés dès le début de l’exploration spatiale. Néanmoins, de récentes évolutions industrielles bouleversent les pratiques dans le domaine, les technologies standard devenant de plus en plus attrayantes pour réaliser des circuits durcis aux radiations. Du fait de leurs fréquences élevées, des nouvelles architectures de transistor et des temps de durcissement réduits, les puces fabriquées suivant les derniers procédés CMOS posent de nombreux défis. Ce travail s’attelle donc à la simulation des aléas logiques permanents (SEU) et transitoires (SET), en technologies FD-SOI et bulk Si avancées. La réponse radiative des transistors FD-SOI 28 nm est tout d’abord étudiée par le biais de simulations TCAD, amenant au développement de deux modèles innovants pour décrire les courants induits par particules ionisantes en FD-SOI. Le premier est principalement comportemental, tandis que le second capture des phénomènes complexes tels que l’amplification bipolaire parasite et la rétroaction du circuit, à partir des premiers principes de semi-conducteurs et en accord avec les simulations TCAD poussées.Ces modèles compacts sont alors couplés à une plateforme de simulation Monte Carlo du taux d’erreurs radiatives (SER) conduisant à une large validation sur des données expérimentales recueillies sous faisceau de particules. Enfin, des études par simulation prédictive sont présentées sur des cellules mémoire et portes logiques en FD-SOI 28 nm et bulk Si 65 nm, permettant d’approfondir la compréhension des mécanismes contribuant au SER en orbite des circuits intégrés modernes / The effects of cosmic radiation on electronics have been studied since the early days of space exploration, given the severe reliability constraints arising from harsh space environments. However, recent evolutions in the space industry landscape are changing radiation effects practices and methodologies, with mainstream technologies becoming increasingly attractive for radiation-hardened integrated circuits. Due to their high operating frequencies, new transistor architectures, and short rad-hard development times, chips manufactured in latest CMOS processes pose a variety of challenges, both from an experimental standpoint and for modeling perspectives. This work thus focuses on simulating single-event upsets and transients in advanced FD-SOI and bulk silicon processes.The soft-error response of 28 nm FD-SOI transistors is first investigated through TCAD simulations, allowing to develop two innovative models for radiation-induced currents in FD-SOI. One of them is mainly behavioral, while the other captures complex phenomena, such as parasitic bipolar amplification and circuit feedback effects, from first semiconductor principles and in agreement with detailed TCAD simulations.These compact models are then interfaced to a complete Monte Carlo Soft-Error Rate (SER) simulation platform, leading to extensive validation against experimental data collected on several test vehicles under accelerated particle beams. Finally, predictive simulation studies are presented on bit-cells, sequential and combinational logic gates in 28 nm FD-SOI and 65 nm bulk Si, providing insights into the mechanisms that contribute to the SER of modern integrated circuits in orbit

State-of-the-art SiGe BiCMOS technologies leverage the maturity of deep-submicron silicon CMOS processing with bandgap-engineered SiGe HBTs in a single platform that is suitable for a wide variety of high performance and highly-integrated applications (e.g., system-on-chip (SOC), system-in-package (SiP)). Due to their bandgap-engineered base, SiGe HBTs are also naturally suited for cryogenic electronics and have the potential to replace the costly de facto technologies of choice (e.g., Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs) and Indium-Phosphide (InP)) in many cryogenic applications such as radio astronomy. This work investigates the response of mixed-signal circuits (both RF and analog circuits) when operating in extreme environments, in particular, at cryogenic temperatures and in radiation-rich environments. The ultimate goal of this work is to attempt to fill the existing gap in knowledge on the cryogenic and radiation response (both single event transients (SETs) and total ionization dose (TID)) of specific RF and analog circuit blocks (i.e., RF switches and voltage references). The design approach for different RF switch topologies and voltage references circuits are presented. Standalone Field Effect Transistors (FET) and SiGe HBTs test structures were also characterized and the results are provided to aid in the analysis and understanding of the underlying mechanisms that impact the circuits' response. Radiation mitigation strategies to counterbalance the damaging effects are investigated. A comprehensive study on the impact of cryogenic temperatures on the RF linearity of SiGe HBTs fabricated in a new 4th-generation, 90 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology is also presented.