ASTM F980-16(2024)
(Guide)Standard Guide for Measurement of Rapid Annealing of Neutron-Induced Displacement Damage in Silicon Semiconductor Devices
Standard Guide for Measurement of Rapid Annealing of Neutron-Induced Displacement Damage in Silicon Semiconductor Devices
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Electronic circuits used in many space, military, and nuclear power systems may be exposed to various levels and time profiles of neutron radiation. It is essential for the design and fabrication of such circuits that test methods be available that can determine the vulnerability or hardness (measure of survivability) of components to be used in them. A determination of hardness is often necessary for the short term (≈100 μs) as well as long term (permanent damage) following exposure. See Practice E722.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide defines the requirements and procedures for testing silicon discrete semiconductor devices and integrated circuits for rapid annealing effects from displacement damage resulting from neutron radiation. This test will produce degradation of the electrical properties of the irradiated devices and should be considered a destructive test. Rapid annealing of displacement damage is usually associated with bipolar technologies.
1.1.1 Heavy ion beams can also be used to characterize displacement damage annealing (1),2 but ion beams have significant complications in the interpretation of the resulting device behavior due to the associated ionizing dose. The use of pulsed ion beams as a source of displacement damage is not within the scope of this standard.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
General Information
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Standards Content (Sample)
This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: F980 − 16 (Reapproved 2024)
Standard Guide for
Measurement of Rapid Annealing of Neutron-Induced
Displacement Damage in Silicon Semiconductor Devices
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F980; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original
adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript
epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
1.1 This guide defines the requirements and procedures for
E264 Test Method for Measuring Fast-Neutron Reaction
testing silicon discrete semiconductor devices and integrated
Rates by Radioactivation of Nickel
circuits for rapid annealing effects from displacement damage
E265 Test Method for Measuring Reaction Rates and Fast-
resulting from neutron radiation. This test will produce degra-
Neutron Fluences by Radioactivation of Sulfur-32
dation of the electrical properties of the irradiated devices and
E666 Practice for Calculating Absorbed Dose From Gamma
should be considered a destructive test. Rapid annealing of
or X Radiation
displacement damage is usually associated with bipolar tech-
E720 Guide for Selection and Use of Neutron Sensors for
nologies.
Determining Neutron Spectra Employed in Radiation-
1.1.1 Heavy ion beams can also be used to characterize
Hardness Testing of Electronics
displacement damage annealing (1), but ion beams have
E721 Guide for Determining Neutron Energy Spectra from
significant complications in the interpretation of the resulting
Neutron Sensors for Radiation-Hardness Testing of Elec-
device behavior due to the associated ionizing dose. The use of
tronics
pulsed ion beams as a source of displacement damage is not
E722 Practice for Characterizing Neutron Fluence Spectra in
within the scope of this standard.
Terms of an Equivalent Monoenergetic Neutron Fluence
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
for Radiation-Hardness Testing of Electronics
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
E1854 Practice for Ensuring Test Consistency in Neutron-
standard.
Induced Displacement Damage of Electronic Parts
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the E1855 Test Method for Use of 2N2222A Silicon Bipolar
Transistors as Neutron Spectrum Sensors and Displace-
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- ment Damage Monitors
E1894 Guide for Selecting Dosimetry Systems for Applica-
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. tion in Pulsed X-Ray Sources
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-
3. Terminology
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
3.1.1 Β—gain also known as the common emitter gain. The
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
ratio of the collector current over the base current at a constant
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
V .
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
CE
3.1.2 annealing function—the ratio of the change in the
displacement damage metric (as manifested in device paramet-
ric measurements) as a function of time following a pulse of
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E10 on Nuclear
Technology and Applications and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee neutrons to the change in the residual late-time displacement
E10.07 on Radiation Dosimetry for Radiation Effects on Materials and Devices.
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2024. Published January 2024. Originally
approved in 1986. Last previous edition approved in 2016 as F980 – 16. DOI: For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
10.1520/F0980-16R24. contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end of Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
this standard. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
F980 − 16 (2024)
damage metric remaining at the time the imparted damage 3.1.4 in situ tests—electrical measurements made on de-
achieves quasi-equilibrium. vices before, after, or during irradiation while they remain in
3.1.2.1 Discussion—This late-time quasi-equilibrium time the immediate vicinity of the irradiation location. All rapid
is sometimes set to a fixed time on the order of approximately annealing measurements are performed in situ because mea-
1000 s, or it is, as in Test Method E1855, set to a displacement surement must begin immediately following irradiation (usu-
damage measurement made after temperature/time stabilizing ally <1 ms).
thermal anneal procedure of 80 °C for 2 h. Fig. 1 shows an
3.1.4.1 Discussion—For reactor neutron irradiations, there
example of the annealing function for a 2N2907 pnp bipolar will be a gamma environment as well as a neutron pulse. In
transistor with an operational current of 2 mA during and after
addition to the neutron displacement damage, the transient
the irradiation. The displacement damage metric of interest is photocurrent from the gamma environment may affect the
often the reciprocal gain change in a bipolar device. This
electrical measurements. During a fast-burst reactor pulse the
damage metric is widely used since the Messenger-Spratt peak gamma dose rate can exceed 1.E8 rad(Si)/s. The induced
equation (2, 3) states that this quantity, at late time, is
photocurrents may interfere with the determination of the
proportional to the 1 MeV(Si) equivalent fluence; see Practice early-time (<100 ms) device gain. Fig. 2 shows a representative
E722. In this case the time profile for the prompt gamma, prompt neutron, and
delayed gamma radiation components for a maximum pulse in
1 1
2 5 kΦ (1)
S D a fast-burst reactor. After a reactor pulse the delayed fission
G G
` 0
gamma environment will produce a photocurrent environment
Φ is the 1 MeV(Si) equivalent fluence, k is a device-specific
that extends out to the time when the device is removed from
displacement damage constant referred to as the Messenger
constant, G is the initial gain of the device, and G is the
the reactor. The time-dependent importance of the device
0 ∞
late-time quasi-equilibrium gain of the device. For this dam-
photocurrent response will vary with the operational currents
age metric, the anneal function, AF(t), is given by:
within the device itself. At low operational currents the
1 1
photocurrent interference current will exceed the operational
G t G
~ ! currents for a longer period of time.
AF~t! 5 (2)
1 1
3.1.5 LET—linear energy transfer, also called the linear
G G
` 0
electronic stopping power, is the energy loss of an ionizing
where G(t) is the gain of the device at a time t.
particle due to electronic collisions per unit distance into a
3.1.2.2 Discussion—The annealing function has typical val-
material.
ues of 2 to 10 for time periods extending out to several
3.1.6 remote tests—electrical measurements made on de-
thousands of seconds following irradiation; see Refs (4-10).
vices that are physically removed from the irradiation location.
The annealing function decreases to unity at late time; “late
For the purpose of this guide, remote tests are used only for the
time” is taken to be the time point where the G late-time
∞
characterization of the parts before and after they are subjected
quasi-equilibrium device gain was determined.
to the neutron radiation (see 6.4).
3.1.3 displacement damage effects—effects induced by the
non-ionizing portion of the deposited energy during an irradia-
4. Summary of Guide
tion. The dominant effect of displacement damage in bipolar
silicon devices is a reduction in the minority carrier lifetime 4.1 A rapid annealing radiation test requires that continual
and a reduction in the common emitter current gain. or periodic time-sequential electrical parameter measurements
FIG. 1 Example Gain Annealing Function for a 2N2907 Bipolar Transistor
F980 − 16 (2024)
14 2
NOTE 1—Fig. 2 shows the radiation components from a maximum pulse (ΔΘ = 300 °C, neutron fluence = 3.4 × 10 1 MeV(Si) ⁄cm ) in a fast-burst
reactor. The wiggles in the millisecond time period are a real effect and represent the temperature-induced shock oscillations in the reactor power as a
result of the fuel expansion. The time-dependence of the reactor pulse was measured with a diamond PCD and the calculations were performed to
deconvolute the radiation components of the reactor pulse (11, 12).
FIG. 2 Representative Time-Dependent Ionizing Dose from a Fast-Burst Reactor
of key parameters of a device be made immediately following or the associated gamma rays. In the case of neutrons, the
exposure to a short pulse of neutron radiation capable of ionizing dose is delivered by the residual ions resulting from
causing significant displacement damage. nuclear reactions. The relevant reactions can be elastic,
inelastic, spallation, or transmutation reactions.
4.2 Because many factors enter into the effects of the
4.2.7 Dosimetry—The type of monitor and the read-out
radiation on the part, parties to the test must establish many
technique used to measure the radiation levels. The selection of
circumstances of the test before the validity of the test can be
a dosimetry system is dependent to some extent on the
established or the results of one group of parts can be
radiation source selection.
meaningfully compared with those of another group. Those
4.2.7.1 Since a short-pulsed radiation source is implied for a
factors that must be established are as follows:
rapid annealing measurement, a time profile of the radiation
4.2.1 Radiation Source—The type and characteristics of the
intensity and its time relationship to the subsequent measure-
neutron radiation source to be used (see 6.2).
ments should be obtained (see 7.1).
4.2.2 Dose Rate Range—The range of ionizing dose rates
4.2.8 Temperature—The temperature during exposure and
within which the neutron exposures must take place. These
the allowable temperature change during the time interval of
dose rates and the subsequent device response must be taken
the rapid annealing measurement (see 6.7).
into account in the interpretation of the parametric measure-
4.2.9 Experimental Configuration—The physical arrange-
ments being made (see 6.6).
ment of the radiation source, test unit, radiation shielding, and
4.2.3 Operating Conditions—The test circuit, electrical bi-
any other mechanical or electrical elements of this test.
ases to be applied, and operating sequence (if applicable) for
the part during and following exposure (see 6.5).
5. Significance and Use
4.2.4 Electrical Parameter Measurements—The pre-
5.1 Electronic circuits used in many space, military, and
irradiation measurements to be made before the test and
nuclear power systems may be exposed to various levels and
post-irradiation measurements to be made after the radiation
time profiles of neutron radiation. It is essential for the design
exposure on the test unit. These measurements include the
and fabrication of such circuits that test methods be available
measurement of relevant electrical properties accompanying
that can determine the vulnerability or hardness (measure of
changes in annealing-sensitive parameters of interest in the
survivability) of components to be used in them. A determina-
test.
tion of hardness is often necessary for the short term (≈100 μs)
4.2.5 Time Sequence—The exposure time, time after expo-
as well as long term (permanent damage) following exposure.
sure when measurements of the selected parameter(s) are to
See Practice E722.
begin, time when measurements are to end, and the time
intervals between measurements.
6. Interferences
4.2.6 Neutron Fluence Levels—The fluence range required
6.1 There are many factors that can affect the results of
to attain the desired damage to the device.
rapid annealing tests. Care must be taken to control these
4.2.6.1 Total Ionizing Dose Levels—If the part is sensitive to
factors to obtain consistent and reproducible results.
an accompanying type of radiation (such as gamma rays), the
levels to which the part is exposed before the rapid annealing 6.2 Pulsed Neutron Radiation Source—Because the objec-
measurement is affected (see 6.4). tive of a rapid annealing test is to observe short-term damage
Discussion—The damage from total dose can depend upon effects, it is implied that this damage is incurred in a short time
the dose rate and the LET of the irradiating particle (13). For period and is severe enough to be easily measured. These
reactor irradiations, ionizing dose can result from the neutrons factors imply a pulsed neutron source. The most commonly
F980 − 16 (2024)
used source for rapid annealing tests is a pulsed reactor. There recommended that all radiation exposures and measurements
are two types commonly used: the bare-assembly fast-burst be done at 24 6 6 °C unless unique requirements or unusual
reactor and the water-moderated TRIGA type (see Ref (14)). A environmental conditions dictate otherwise.
less common but useful neutron source is a spallation neutron 6.7.2 Because rapid annealing is affected by temperature, it
source (15). is important to monitor possible temperature rise resulting from
the pulse of radiation or a temperature rise of the radiation
6.3 Energy Spectrum—The neutron energies should be
source.
known to ensure correlation with design requirements. It
6.7.3 Device heating may also occur from high device
should also be known that adequate damage to the part can be
2 current. Injection level of device operation is important and
inflicted. Neutron fluences (n/cm ) are commonly specified in
should be known at all times; see Refs (4-10, 14, 16).
terms of 1 MeV silicon damage equivalent fluence or as the
6.7.4 Consideration should be given for temperature
total neutron fluence above a given energy (see 7.5.1 and
changes that the devices may experience after radiation and
Guides E720 and E721, and Practice E722).
prior to quasi-equilibrium measurement.
6.4 Effects of Other Radiation—Some parts that will be
6.8 Handling—A
...
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