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This paper describes a complete simulation approach to investigating the physics of heayy-ion charge generation and collection during a single event transient in a PN diode. The simulations explore the effects of Werent ion track models, applied biases, background dopings, and LET on the transient responses of a PN diode. The simulation results show that ion track structure and charge collection via diffusiondominated processes play important roles in determining device transient responses. The simulations show no evidence of rapid charge collection in excess of that deposited in the device depletion region in typical funneling time frames (i.e., by time to peak current or in less than 500 ps). Further, the simulations clearly show that the device transient responses are not simple functions of the ion's incident LET. The simulation results imply that future studies and experiments should consider the effects of ion track structure in addition to LET and extend transient charge collection times tb insure that reported charge collection efficiencies include diffusiondominated collection processes.

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We use picosecond laser pulses to investigate single event upsets and related fundamental charge collection mechanisms in semiconductor microelectronic devices and circuits. By varying the laser wavelength the incident laser pulses deposit charge tracks of variable length, which form an approximation to the charge tracks resulting from high energy space particle strikes. We show how variation of the charge track length deposited by laser pulses allows the mechanisms of charge collection in semiconductor devices to be probed in a sensitive manner. With the aid of computer simulations, new insight into charge collection mechanisms for metal–semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) devices and heterojunction bipolar transistor devices is found. In the case of the MESFET we point out the correlation between charge collection in the device and the ensuing single event upset in the composite circuit. In favorable cases, we show how probing circuits with tunable laser pulses can estimate a charge collection depth, which is a circuit parameter important for the prediction of error rates for circuits operating in a space-radiation environment.

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