First Tests of a New Facility for Device-Level, Board-Level and System-Level Neutron Irradiation of Microelectronics

The very limited availability of fast neutron facilities, particularly in Europe, for testing of microelectronics has motivated the construction of ChipIr, a new beamline at the ISIS neutron and muon source in the UK. ChipIr has been designed for Single Event Effect testing at the device-level, board-level and system-level which requires a beam of uniform intensity over a selectable area in the order of hundreds of cm(2). Measurements of the beam uniformity are presented in this paper. A memory chip of interest for space applications, based on SRAMs and developed by ESA for monitoring of radiation fields, has been used for a comparative characterization of the beam. Consistent results have been found, giving confidence on the intensity and shape of the fast neutron spectrum of ChipIr.

Automated summary

The ChipIr beamline has been constructed at the ISIS neutron and muon source in the UK to address the limited availability of fast neutron facilities in Europe for testing microelectronics. It has been designed for Single Event Effect testing requiring a uniform intensity beam over a selectable area. Comparative characterization with a memory chip developed by ESA for monitoring radiation fields has shown consistent results, providing confidence in the intensity and shape of ChipIr's fast neutron spectrum.