Single Event Transients and Pulse Quenching Effects in Bandgap Reference Topologies for Space Applications
Andreou, C. M., Javanainen, A., Rominski, A., Virtanen, A., Liberali, V., Calligaro, C., . . . Georgiou, J. (2016). Single Event Transients and Pulse Quenching Effects in Bandgap Reference Topologies for Space Applications. IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 63 (6), 2950-2961. doi:10.1109/TNS.2016.2611639
Published in
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear ScienceDate
2016Copyright
© 2016 IEEE. This is a final draft version of an article whose final and definitive form has been published by IEEE. Published in this repository with the kind permission of the publisher.
An architectural performance comparison of bandgap voltage reference variants, designed in a 0.18 μm CMOS process, is performed with respect to single event transients. These are commonly induced in microelectronics in the space radiation environment. Heavy ion tests (Silicon, Krypton, Xenon) are used to explore the analog single-event transients and have revealed pulse quenching mechanisms in analogue circuits. The different topologies are compared, in terms of cross-section, pulse duration and pulse amplitude. The measured results, and the explanations behind the findings, reveal important guidelines for designing analog integrated circuits, which are intended for space applications. The paper includes an analysis on how pulse quenching occurs within the indispensable current mirror, which is used in every analog circuit.