Radiation effects in new materials for nano-devices

Exposure to radiation poses significant challenges for electronic devices, including parametric degradation, loss of data, or catastrophic failure. The challenges and solutions change significantly as new materials are introduced and feature sizes become smaller. This paper reviews the effects of radiation on electronics, with emphasis on the impact of new materials.

Introduction of new materials and device structures has a significant impact on radiation response. For some devices, the response may be dominated by the surrounding materials (e.g., the substrate). Use of thinner dielectrics reduces radiation-induced charge generation, but new materials may trap a higher fraction of the charge.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Introduction of new materials creates new radiation-effects challenges.
► Small feature sizes increase susceptibility to radiation-induced transients.
► Radiation response of nanoscale devices may be dominated by the substrate.