Many of today's commercial integrated circuit (IC) devices and Multi-Chip Modules (MCMs) cannot be utilized in deep space and earth orbiting applications because of radiation induced Single Event Latchup (SEL). The commercial IC devices are developed and manufactured for the computer and mass market applications and cannot withstand the effects of radiation induced Single Event Latchup from the natural space environment caused by solar flares in galactic cosmic radiation.Common methods of preventing SEL degraded performance is to design special radiation tolerant integrated circuits or implement power supply current monitoring followed by power supply removal with complex external electronic circuitry. Both of these solutions have performance and economic disadvantages. The innovation proposed will provide improved SEL performance of an integrated circuit device through the addition of circuitry integrated within the device package. The circuitry and the protected device can be incorporated within the same physical dimensions and electrical configuration as the original unprotected integrated circuit device. The circuitry provides automatic protection through the SEL event with minimum impact on the system. In addition, an event signal can be added through the addition (or re-assignment) of one device output pin to indicate to the system that automatic latchup protection is underway or has occurred.
Potential Commercial Applications:Benefits include the improved SEL performance of commercial ICs, allowing their use in space applications. Many ICs can be manufactured with commercial technologies and then modified with MCM assembly to incorporate SEL protection within the original package footprint. The ability to use commercial IC technology would
Benefit: military programs such as GPS, MILSTAR, and BP, as well as commercial adventures such as IRIDIUM and GLOBALSTAR which represent a $200M annual market.
