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Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition

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A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Microelectronics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 9889

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Prof. Dr. Chang Cai

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Guest Editor

School of Physics and Materials Science, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: radiation effect; advanced electronic devices; advanced integrated circuit
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yaqing Chi

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Guest Editor

College of Computer, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Interests: radiation effects; single event effects; nano-electronic devices; nano-integrated circuits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Li Cai

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Guest Editor

Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: radiation effects on semiconductor devices; single event effects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on the effects of radiation on advanced electronic devices and integrated circuits has increased rapidly in recent years, resulting in many interesting approaches to the modeling of radiation effects and the design of advanced radiation-hardened electronic devices and integrated circuits. This research is strongly driven by the growing need for radiation-hardened higher-performance electronics for space applications like planetary exploration, high-energy physics experiments such as those on the large hadron collider at CERN, and many nuclear applications (e.g., nuclear energy and safety management). With the progressive scaling of integrated circuit technologies and the growing complexity of electronic devices, their susceptibility to ionizing radiation has raised many exciting challenges which are expected to drive research in the coming decade. Although the total ionizing dose (TID) effects on bulk CMOS are well known, little is known about the radiation performance of SOI, FinFET, GAA (gate-all-around), 3D stacking technologies, or novel devices based on carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other advanced materials. Regarding single-event effects (SEEs), continued scaling has drastically enhanced the charge-sharing effect, which leads to multiple-cell upsets and multi-pulse propagations and requires new solutions to reduce radiation sensitivity in advanced digital/analog/RF/power/mixed-signal devices and integrated circuits. The radiation hardness assurance of complex systems with multiple components in mixed technologies also necessitates new testing paradigms and verification methodologies to limit the time and cost of evaluation.

The main aim of this Special Issue is to seek high-quality submissions that highlight emerging applications and address recent breakthroughs in modeling radiation effects in advanced electronic devices and integrated circuits; radiation-hardening techniques for advanced digital, analog, RF, and mixed-signal integrated circuits; and testing methodologies for radiation effect characterization and hardness evaluation. The topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

Basic mechanisms of radiation effects in advanced electronic devices, integrated circuits, and novel devices.
Compact modeling of radiation effects in advanced electronic devices, integrated circuits, and novel devices.
Radiation hardening and fault tolerance for advanced electronic devices, integrated circuits, and novel devices.
Radiation environment influence: space, atmospheric, terrestrial, and artificial.
Radiation effect characterization and radiation hardness assurance testing.
New developments of interest to the radiation effect community.

Prof. Dr. Chang Cai
Dr. Yaqing Chi
Dr. Li Cai
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

radiation effect
total ionizing dose
single-event effect
spacecraft charging
radiation hardening
electronic device
integrated circuit
radiation environment
hardness assurance

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Related Special Issue

Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits in Electronics (20 articles)

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Research

12 pages, 4532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regression Analysis for Predicting the Magnetic Field Shielding Effectiveness of Ferrite Sheets

by Hyun Ho Park, Heehyuk Lee and Deuk-Kyu Hwang

Electronics 2025, 14(2), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14020310 - 14 Jan 2025

Viewed by 382

Abstract

In this paper, a method to predict near-field magnetic shielding effectiveness (NSE) of ferrite sheets is proposed by measuring their relative permeability. The NSE prediction for ferrite sheets is developed using eight regression models based on higher-order terms of permeability, extracted through Minitab’s regression analysis using data from the measured NSE and relative permeabilities of the ferrite sheets. To analyze the accuracy of the predicted NSE in comparison to the measured NSE, the mean square error (MSE) was computed. As a result, the extracted regression models enable fast and accurate NSE predictions for ferrite sheets up to 100 MHz, achieving an MSE of less than 1.0, in contrast to numerical simulation methods that require several hours. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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11 pages, 3862 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Cosmic Rays on the Failure Rate of Flexible Direct Current Converter Valves in High-Altitude Environment

by Liu Yang, Zezhao Zhang, Yuebin Zhou, Daming Wang, Chao Peng, Hong Zhang, Zhifeng Lei, Zhangang Zhang, Weili Fu and Teng Ma

Electronics 2024, 13(23), 4790; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13234790 - 4 Dec 2024

Viewed by 504

Abstract

Aiming at the significant needs of flexible DC converter valve applications in high-altitude areas, we investigate the effect of atmospheric neutrons on the failure rate of key core power devices in three kinds of converter valves, namely IGBTs, thyristors, and diodes. The safe working voltage boundary of the devices is obtained, and the failure rate caused by atmospheric neutrons in the real working environment of the power devices is calculated according to the results of the ground-accelerated irradiation test of atmospheric neutrons and the atmospheric neutron environment under the actual working conditions. The test results show that the failure rate of IGBTs, thyristors, and diodes caused by atmospheric neutrons is greatly affected by the blocking voltage, and the larger the blocking voltage is, the higher the failure rate of the device is. The research results can provide a basis for the design of the operating voltage of key core power devices of flexible DC converter valves and guide the evaluation of the failure rate and engineering design of the electronic system of DC ultra-high-voltage power transmission and transformation converter stations in the high-altitude environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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13 pages, 7328 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Analysis of Shielding Performance in Double-Layered Enclosures with Integrated Absorbers

by Jong Hwa Kwon, Chang-Hee Hyoung and Hyun Ho Park

Electronics 2024, 13(22), 4345; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13224345 - 6 Nov 2024

Viewed by 637

Abstract

Generally, various technologies, including waveguide below cutoff (WBC), gasket sealing, and bonding, are employed in metallic enclosures to achieve the high electromagnetic shielding performance required for EMP protection and EMC countermeasures in shielding structures or facilities. While the shielding structure or facility is properly constructed and maintained according to design specifications, its electromagnetic shielding performance can remain at the required level, effectively protecting internal electrical and electronic equipment from external electromagnetic interference. However, unintended apertures often occur during the construction or maintenance of shielding facilities, compromising their shielding performance. Therefore, it is crucial to develop technologies that prevent shielding effectiveness degradation caused by both intentional and unintentional apertures. This paper proposes a structure incorporating a composite absorber (made of dielectric and magnetic absorber) within a double metal panel of enclosure featuring an aperture, aimed at maintaining and improving the facility’s shielding performance. The effectiveness of the proposed structure was validated through numerical simulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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16 pages, 15088 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Impact of Air Gaps Between Microstrip Line and Magnetic Sheet on Near-Field Magnetic Shielding

by Hyun Ho Park, Eakhwan Song, Jiseong Kim and Cheolsoo Kim

Electronics 2024, 13(21), 4313; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13214313 - 2 Nov 2024

Viewed by 757

Abstract

This study experimentally analyzed the impact of air gaps between a magnetic sheet and a test board with a microstrip line, which is used to measure the near-field magnetic shielding effectiveness (NSE) of magnetic sheets made of metallic powder. To conduct the measurements, a material fixture equipped with a microstrip line to generate the near magnetic field, a rectangular loop probe, and an automatic probe positioning system capable of moving the loop probe along three axes were designed and fabricated. In addition, to systematically vary the thickness of the gaps, three paper spacers with a thickness of 0.11 mm per paper were used, and a 1.0 mm thick acrylic sheet, along with a specially designed material fixture, was used to press down the magnetic sheets during measurement. The magnetic shielding properties were measured and compared under various air gap conditions using a near-field magnetic loop probe. The effect of the gaps on the shielding performance of the magnetic sheets was quantitatively evaluated for three different magnetic sheets. The experimental results showed that as the gap thickness increased, NSE tended to improve up to a frequency around 1 GHz, while in the higher frequency range of a few GHz, NSE tended to decrease. The physical background of this phenomenon was explained using an equivalent magnetic circuit represented by reluctances for the structure, where the magnetic sheet is placed above the microstrip line with an air gap. This model helps to elucidate how the presence of the air gap affects the near-field magnetic shielding performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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10 pages, 1476 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temperature Dependence of Total Ionizing Dose Effects of β-Ga₂O₃ Schottky Barrier Diodes

by Weili Fu, Teng Ma, Zhifeng Lei, Chao Peng, Hong Zhang, Zhangang Zhang, Tao Xiao, Hongjia Song, Yuangang Wang, Jinbin Wang, Zhao Fu and Xiangli Zhong

Electronics 2024, 13(11), 2215; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13112215 - 6 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1025

Abstract

This paper investigates the temperature-dependent effects of gamma-ray irradiation on β-Ga₂O₃ vertical Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) under a 100 V reverse bias condition at a total dose of 1 Mrad(Si). As the irradiation dose increased, the radiation damage became more severe. The total ionizing dose (TID) degradation behavior and mechanisms were evaluated through DC, capacitance–voltage (C-V), and low-frequency noise (LFN) measurements by varying irradiation, and the test results indicated that TID effects introduced interface defects and altered the carrier concentration within the material. The impact of TID effects was more pronounced at lower temperatures compared to higher temperatures. Additionally, the annealing effect in the high-temperature experimental conditions ameliorated the growth of interface trap defects caused by irradiation. These results suggest that compared to low-temperature testing, the device exhibits higher TID tolerance after high-temperature exposure, providing valuable insights for in-depth radiation reliability studies on subsequent related devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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13 pages, 5464 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study of the Impact of Temperature on Atmospheric Neutron-Induced Single Event Upsets in 28 nm Embedded SRAM of SiP

by Shunshun Zheng, Zhangang Zhang, Jiefeng Ye, Xiaojie Lu, Zhifeng Lei, Zhili Liu, Gaoying Geng, Qi Zhang, Hong Zhang and Hui Li

Electronics 2024, 13(11), 2012; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13112012 - 22 May 2024

Viewed by 1184

Abstract

In this paper, the temperature dependence of single event upset (SEU) cross-section in 28 nm embedded Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) of System in Package (SiP) was investigated. An atmospheric neutron beam with an energy range of MeV~GeV was utilized. The SEU cross-section increased by 39.8% when the temperature increased from 296 K to 382 K. Further Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulation results show that the temperature has a weak impact on the peak pulse current, which is mainly caused by the change of bipolar amplification effect with temperature. As the temperature increases, the critical charge of the device decreases by about 4.8%. The impact of temperature on the SEU cross-section is determined competitively by the peak pulse current and the critical charge. The impact of temperature on critical charge is expected to become more severe as the feature size is further advanced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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13 pages, 2238 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Model Parameters and Degradation Mechanism Analysis of Indium Phosphide Hetero-Junction Bipolar Transistors Exposed to Proton Irradiation

by Xiaohong Zhao, Hongwei Wang, Yihao Zhang, You Chen, Siyi Cheng, Xing Wang, Fang Peng, Yongjian Yang, Guannan Tang, Yurong Bai and Shaowei Sun

Electronics 2024, 13(10), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13101831 - 9 May 2024

Viewed by 805

Abstract

The degradation properties of Indium phosphide hetero-junction bipolar transistors (InP HBTs) under proton irradiation are studied and modelled using a compact model for pre-irradiation, post-irradiation, and post-annealing. The variation rates of the model parameters, such as the base–emitter saturation current (I_SE) and ideality factor in the ideal region (N_E) in the forward Gummel characteristics, the zero-biased capacitance (C_je) and the grading factor (M_jer) in the BE junction capacitance, and the transit time parameter in the base region (T_fb), are analysed to delve into the degradation mechanism induced by proton irradiation. The displacement damage, induced by proton irradiation in the space charge region of the base–emitter junction and in the quasi-neutral bulk base region, is found to be responsible for the decrease in current gain and cut-off frequency. After annealing, the variation rates of the parameters decrease significantly compared to post-irradiation. This suggests that the recombination of unstable defects leads to a slight recovery in the degradation characteristics of InP HBTs after a period of annealing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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13 pages, 5293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Radiation Damage of Silicon Solar Cell Electrical Parameters by Nanosecond Pulse Laser

by Sai Li, Longcheng Huang, Jifei Ye, Yanji Hong, Ying Wang, Heyan Gao and Qianqian Cui

Electronics 2024, 13(9), 1795; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13091795 - 6 May 2024

Viewed by 1576

Abstract

This experimental study investigates the damage effects of nanosecond pulse laser irradiation on silicon solar cells. It encompasses the analysis of transient pulse signal waveform characteristics at the cells’ output and changes in electrical parameters, such as I–V curves before and after laser irradiation under varying laser fluence and background light intensities, and explores the underlying action mechanisms of laser irradiation. The study reveals that as the laser fluence increases up to 4.0 J/cm², the peak value of the transient pulse signal increases by 47.5%, while the pulse width augments by 88.2% compared to the initial transient pulse signal. Furthermore, certain parameters, such as open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and peak power obtained, from the measured I–V curve indicate a threshold laser fluence for functional degradation of the solar cell at approximately 1.18 ± 0.42 J/cm². Results obtained from laser irradiation under different background light intensities underscore the significant influence of background light on laser irradiation of silicon cells, with the most severe damage occurring in the absence of light. Moreover, findings from laser irradiation at multiple locations on the silicon cell demonstrate a linear decrease in the output voltage of the silicon cell with an increase in the number of irradiation points. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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13 pages, 4738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation and Mitigation of Weight-Related Single Event Upsets in a Convolutional Neural Network

by Yulong Cai, Ming Cai, Yanlai Wu, Jian Lu, Zeyu Bian, Bingkai Liu and Shuai Cui

Electronics 2024, 13(7), 1296; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13071296 - 30 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 988

Abstract

Single Event Upsets (SEUs) are most likely to cause bit flips within the trained parameters of a convolutional neural network (CNN). Therefore, it is crucial to analyze and implement hardening techniques to enhance their reliability under radiation. In this paper, random fault injections into the weights of LeNet-5 were carried out in order to evaluate and propose strategies to improve the reliability of a CNN. According to the results of an SEU fault injection, the accuracy of the CNN can be classified into the following three categories: benign conditions, poor conditions, and critical conditions. Two efficient methods for mitigating weight-related SEUs are proposed, as follows: weight limiting and Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) for the critical bit of the critical layer. The hardening results show that when the number of SEU faults is small, the weight limiting almost completely eliminates the critical and poor conditions of LeNet-5’s accuracy. Additionally, even when the number of SEU faults is large enough, combining the weight limiting and TMR methods for the critical bit of the critical layer can retain the occurrence rate of benign conditions at 98%, saving 99.3% of the hardware resources compared to the Full-TMR hardening method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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14 pages, 2338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Proton and Gamma Irradiation on Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes

by Mingzhu Xun, Yudong Li and Mingyu Liu

Electronics 2024, 13(6), 1086; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13061086 - 15 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1096

Abstract

In this paper, the effects of proton and gamma irradiation on reach-through single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are investigated. The I–V characteristics, gain and spectral response of SPAD devices under proton and gamma irradiation were measured at different proton energies and irradiation bias conditions. Comparison experiments of proton and gamma irradiation were performed in the radiation environment of geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) with two different radiation shielding designs at the same total ionizing dose (TID). The results show that after 30 MeV and 60 MeV proton irradiation, the leakage current and gain increase, while the spectral response decreases slightly. The leakage current degradation is more severe under the “ON”-bias condition compared to the “OFF”-bias condition, and it is more sensitive to the displacement radiation damage caused by protons compared to gamma rays under the same TID. Further analysis reveals that the non-elastic and elastic cross-section of protons in silicon is 1.05 × 10⁵ times greater than that of gamma rays. This results in SPAD devices being more sensitive to displacement radiation damage than ionizing radiation damage. Under the designed shielding conditions, the leakage current, gain and spectral response parameters of SPADs do not show significant performance degradation in the orbit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Effects of Advanced Electronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition)

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