Fundamentals of the pulsed laser technique for single-event effects testing
by Dale McMorrow1 (Presenter), Stephen Buchner2
1U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, DC, USA; 2Consultant to U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, DC, USA
Abstract – Carrier generation induced by pulsed-laser excitation has become an essential tool for the investigation of single-event effects (SEEs) of micro- and nano-electronic structures. The qualitative capabilities of this approach include, among others, sensitive node identification, radiation hardened circuit verification, basic mechanisms investigations, model validation and calibration, screening devices for space missions, and fault injection to understand error propagation in complex circuits. Recent effort has built upon the success enabled by these qualitative benefits, and has focused on putting the laser SEE approaches on a more quantitative basis. This presentation will present the basic physics associated with the singlephoton and two-photon excitation processes, as well as numerous case studies.
Dale McMorrow
Dale McMorrow received the Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry from The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, in 1985. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto he joined the technical staff at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in 1988, and presently is head of the Photophysics and Radiation Effects Section in the Electronics Science and Technology Division. His current research interests include the development, characterization and application of laser-based methodologies for simulating single-event phenomena in microelectronic devices and complex integrated circuits. Recent emphasis has been on characterization of the physical mechanisms responsible for the single-event response of III-V semiconductor devices, and the development of two-photon absorption as a tool for interrogating single-event phenomena. He has authored over 250 papers in refereed journals and has served as Technical Chair for the Single-Event Effects Symposium, and as session chair for the IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC), the Radiation and its Effects on Components and Systems (RADECS) Conference, and the Single-Event Effects Symposium. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, and a Senior Member of the Optical Society of America.
