New insight into proton-induced latchup: Experiment and modeling

A combination of irradiation experiments (using energetic protons and heavy ions) and a theoretical analysis was used, for the first time, to study proton induced single event latchup (SEL) in electronic devices. A significant difference between SEL and single event upset (SEU) was found. For SEU the device sensitivity can be predicted by a model assuming the collection of the majority of the charge carriers generated in the sensitive volume by the nuclear fragments of the (p,Si) reactions. For SEL, the measured sensitivities are much lower than predicted by prompt charge collection. Recombination of charge carriers (generated by the heavier fragments) due to a track electric field reasonably explains the SEL data.