Multi-scale modeling to investigate the single event effects for space missions

Abstract

Space environment studies and its effects on electronic systems are fundamental for space applications. More precisely, single event effects (SEE) induced by proton and heavy ions are identified as a major reliability issue for complex electronics systems for decades. The calculations of soft error rates (SER) are still a challenge to obtain the device sensitivity, extrapolate to evolving technologies and investigate the emerging SEE mechanisms. In fact, between the incoming particle and SEE occurrence, many physical mechanisms intervene. Each step has an important role in the SEE occurrence. Methods have been proposed, using combined nuclear codes and device simulations or semi-empirical coupling of nuclear physics and experimental data. During the last 10 years, multi-scale modeling and physics-based Monte-Carlo simulations have been widely developed to overcome the obsolescence of engineering models at predicting SEE rates and investigate sub-micron technology response. More recently, SEE prediction methodologies have been developed aiming at proposing new and adapted approaches for modern electronics in order to investigate the SEE trends induced by the technological roadmap and prevent the problematic emerging SEE. In this work, The Multi-Scale Single Event Phenomena Predictive Platform (MUSCA SEP 3) is used to evaluate the SER trends for modern devices in space applications and more specifically the emergent impact induced by the direct ionization of proton for nanometric devices. We discuss the impact and the significance of each modeling layer in SER analyses and issues, specifically the radiative environment characteristics i.e. the spectrum, the direction properties and the space weather dynamics. These results demonstrate the relevance and the requirement of the multi-scale approach for reliability issues.