In this work, the phenomenon of Micro Single Event Latch-up (mSEL) in Xilinx 28 nm Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) based Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) is systematically investigated through pulsed laser experiments, complemented by circuit-level simulations and theoretical analysis. The study covers the localization of susceptible resources and analysis of layout structures, elucidates the physical mechanisms underlying the multi-step micro-current increase behavior, and reports, for the first time, the discovery and causal analysis of the mSEL current saturation phenomenon. Furthermore, the impact of mSEL on chip functionality is experimentally verified, and potential application-level mitigation strategies are discussed. The results provide valuable references for the application evaluation and radiation-hardened design of commercial FPGAs in aerospace and other high-reliability environments.

Abstract To address the challenges in the quantitative evaluation of pulsed-laser simulations for heavy-ion-induced single-event effects (SEE) in nanoscale technologies, in this study, we develop a pulsed-laser energy-equivalent linear energy transfer (LET) model and an equivalent saturation cross-section model. These models comprehensively incorporate physical mechanisms, such as linear and nonlinear absorption, interface reflection, laser pulse width, and spatial track structures. Validation using a 28 nm SRAM-based field-programmable gate array demonstrates that the equivalent LET threshold and saturation cross-section, derived from the models, show good agreement with heavy-ion experimental results. Furthermore, we propose a set of refined laser experimental guidelines, tailored for nanoscale devices, to systematically elucidate the influence of focusing depth, spherical aberration, resource heterogeneity, and cumulative single-event upset (SEU) effects on SEU characterization. The findings provide a crucial physical basis and standardized reference for the sensitivity assessment of SEE in advanced technological devices.

Single event burnout (SEB) is a critical reliability concern for GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (GaN HEMTs) intended for space power applications. While SEB currents reported in the literature are typically characterized by an abrupt transition into a destructive high-current state ("direct burnout"), a step current evolution has also been sporadically observed but remains poorly understood. In this work, we investigate the physical origin of the step SEB current by combining femtosecond pulsed laser single event effect experiments, capacitance-controlled comparative tests, and TCAD simulations on two commercial enhancement-mode GaN HEMTs (INN650D150A and EPC2034C). Experiments were performed using a 35 fs, 630 nm laser at 5 kHz repetition rate and 9 nJ pulse energy, under off-state bias (V-G = V-S = 0 V) with drain bias stepped until failure. Distinct SEB signatures were reproducibly identified: INN650D150A exhibited a direct transition to the compliance-limited current at V-DS = 400 V, whereas EPC2034C showed a step current waveform at V-DS = 150 V, featuring an initial stable plateau followed by a rapid rise into the destructive regime. Electrical characterization revealed that EPC2034C possesses substantially larger intrinsic parasitic capacitances (C-GS and C-DS) than INN650D150A, motivating a capacitance-driven hypothesis for the step behavior. To verify this hypothesis, a set of external capacitance experiments was conducted on INN650D150A. The step SEB current was not observed when only the drain-side or gate-side capacitance was increased, nor when both sides were increased with insufficient capacitance. In contrast, a clear step response was triggered only when both drain and gate were simultaneously shunted by large capacitors (C-DS,C-ext = 680 pF and C-GS,C-ext = 1 nF), producing a stable plateau current (similar to 6.5 mu A) before final burnout, and concurrently reducing the SEB threshold voltage. The analysis indicates that during the triggering of the single event effect, the drain current undergoes a transient increase, while the rapid charging of the capacitances at the drain and gate limits the further transient rise of the current. Subsequently, during the process in which no additional single event effect is triggered, the drain current remains nearly constant, thereby giving rise to the observed step current. Finally, TCAD simulations were employed to clarify how enhanced parasitic capacitance can also lower the SEB threshold voltage. Two capacitance-enhanced device variants (CE1-HEMT/CE2-HEMT) were constructed by reducing the thickness of the Si3N4 passivation layer relative to a baseline p-GaN gate structure. Electrons generated by heavy ion irradiation drift toward the drain under the applied electric field. The increase in parasitic capacitance leads to a higher electron concentration near the drain and enhances electron trapping, which promotes negative charge accumulation near the drain. Consequently, the local electric field is intensified, reducing the SEB threshold voltage. The experimental evidence and simulation results demonstrate that parasitic capacitance is a decisive factor governing both the shape of the SEB current (direct vs. step) and the SEB threshold voltage, providing practical guidance for radiation-hard design.

The deep charge-discharge effect in dielectrics induced by high-energy electrons is a major cause of spacecraft anomalies and failures in geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO). To evaluate the in-orbit deep charging and discharging behavior of satellite dielectric materials, ground-based simulation testing is essential. However, due to limitations in ground test conditions, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of such evaluations. This paper introduces the key physical model of deep dielectric charging, taking a grounded planar dielectric with an irradiated inner surface as a representative case to analyze the internal charging process and the evolution of critical physical quantities governing deep charging phenomena. In this study, the DICTAT simulation tool is used to investigate the charging effects of three distinct electron sources: strontium-90 decay electrons, monoenergetic electron beams, and GEO ambient electrons. In ground-based simulations, researchers typically use monoenergetic or continuous-spectrum electron beams with flux intensities on the order of pAcm(-2) to irradiate test specimens with varying shielding configurations, dielectric thicknesses, and material compositions, aiming to replicate in-situ deep charging phenomena and assess associated risks. Therefore, the simulations are conducted under electron flux levels representative of GEO orbital conditions. This study focuses on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dielectric samples under three typical spacecraft shielding configurations: 1) externally mounted on the cabin surface, 2) housed inside the pressurized cabin, and 3) embedded within standalone electronic subsystems, while systematically incorporating variations in dielectric thickness. The results show that the disparity between the electron flux deposited within the dielectric bulk and the flux at dielectric interfaces critically governs the severity of charging under varying irradiation conditions. Two key findings emerge as follows. 1) Discrepancies in electron energy spectra and their influence: the differences in energy spectra between the test electron source and the actual space environment lead to variations in deposited electron flux across different aluminum shielding thicknesses and dielectric depths. This discrepancy influences the equilibrium charging state by changing the current density and conductivity in sub-region-n (the dielectric-ground interface), potentially resulting in either underestimation or overestimation of deep charging effects compared with true space conditions. 2) Effectiveness of different electron sources for simulation: strontium-based sources (e.g. Sr-90 beta-decay spectra) effectively replicate the internal charging behavior of Teflon (PTFE) materials on cabin exteriors and inside pressurized compartments under GEO-like electron flux conditions. 0.5 MeV monoenergetic electron beams are suitable for simulating surface dielectric charging on cabin exteriors. However, higher-energy monoenergetic beams exhibit limited applicability at varying dielectric thicknesses. Despite the similar flux intensity used in the tests compared with that in the actual space environment, the differences in energy distribution between the test beams and space electrons can lead to underestimation or overestimation of the charging effects. Based on the simulation results, this work provides recommendations for selecting appropriate test beam parameters under different shielding conditions to improve the accuracy of ground-based evaluations of in-orbit deep dielectric charging.

Single event burnout (SEB) causes catastrophic failure to SiC power devices for power applications in space. The electrical behavior of the 4H-SiC Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) exposed to heavy ion radiation is investigated using the Sentaurus Technical Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations. A "step current" is observed when the reverse current increases under heavy ion irradiation and the simulation results show the dependence of SEB on applied bias voltage, linear energy transfer (LET), and incidence angles of the heavy ion. In addition, the femto-second pulsed laser SEE facility (FPLSEE) are carried out to study the SEB characteristic of SiC SBD. The experiment results were similar to those obtained from the simulation. The electron density distribution, impact ionization distribution, and recombination distribution for SiC SBD are used to understand the possible single event burnout (SEB) mechanism involved. Results show that the SEB process in SiC SBD has both avalanche amplification respectively triggered by impact ionization and carriers recombination, and the "step" trend emerges when the two achieve dynamic equilibrium.

This paper establishes spacecraft charging induced electrostatic discharge and Single Event Effect experiments to distinguish the causes of induced functional failures of motor control circuits in space applications. In the paper, the LMD18200 motor control circuit was used as the research object, and pulsed laser and an electrostatic generator were used as the simulated irradiation source to carry out Single Event Effect and Space Electrostatic Discharge experiments. It is found that compared with the Single Event Effect, the discharge transients caused by space charging is one of the main factors inducing the burnout of the LMD18200 motor control circuit, and the BOOTSTRAP and PWM pins of the LMD18200 circuit are the main sensitive areas of the SESD.

Carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNTFETs) are considered ideal components for radiation-hardened integrated circuits (ICs) due to their material and structural properties. CNTFETs have been shown to have good tolerance to total ionizing dose (TID) effects under no-bias condition. However, in practical applications, ICs typically operate under specific bias conditions. It is necessary to evaluate the TID effects of CNTFETs under different bias conditions. A wafer-level chip probe power-up system was designed to power CNTFETs during Co-60 gamma-ray irradiation. The experimental results show that the bias condition greatly affects the TID tolerance of the CNTFET. Under the no-bias condition, the CNTFET is tolerant to TID up to 2000 k rad (Si). On the contrary, under off-bias condition, the failure occurs at 200 k rad (Si). The failure of the CNTFET is characterized by out-of-control gate voltage and its failure mechanism is analyzed. It is attributed to the breakdown of the gate dielectric (HfO2) between the gate and the source via the time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) effect.

Space weathering occurs extensively on the surfaces of airless bodies, altering the optical properties of surface materials. Micrometeorite impacts and solar wind ion implantation are considered as two key driving mechanisms of space weathering on the lunar surface, leading to spectral reddening (an increase in spectral slope) and darkening (a reduction in overall reflectance). Their effects have been extensively studied, whereas the role of electron irradiation and its fundamental mechanisms remain less understood. This issue is particularly relevant when the Moon is within Earth's magnetotail plasma sheet, where the flux of high-energy electron is significantly elevated. Therefore, here we investigate the space weathering effects induced by electron irradiation via simulated experiments. Our results demonstrate that electron irradiation induces significant reddening and darkening in the reflectance spectra of olivine and pyroxene. More importantly, these spectral changes are reduced after thermal annealing. Such spectral alterations are attributed to the formation of color centers during electron irradiation, which is fundamentally different from the production of nanophase iron induced by the bombardments of micrometeorites and solar wind. This provides a potential explanation for the differences in space weathering processes on the near and far sides of the Moon.

In this study, the effects of proton irradiation on the single event burnout (SEB) of p-gate AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) were investigated. SEB experiments were conducted using a femtosecond pulsed laser facility and a heavy ion accelerator, whereas proton irradiation was performed at the Proton Radiation Effects Facility (PREF). Additionally, a significant reduction in the threshold voltage for SEB (VSEB) is observed after 30 MeV proton irradiation at a fluence of 2E11 cm(-2). Further analysis using deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) reveals that the original electron trap E0 (Ec-0.81 eV) evolves into an electron trap E2 (Ec-0.72 eV) and a hole trap H2 (Ev+0.88 eV) after irradiation. This reduction in VSEB is due to significant positive charge accumulation resulting from the H2. Furthermore, the safe operating areas (SOAs) for SEB effects in GaN HEMTs, both before and after proton irradiation, are given. During SOA analysis, a reduction in VSEB under more negative gate voltage after proton irradiation is observed, attributed to increased hole trapping by proton-induced trap H1 (Ev+1.00 eV) and residual E0 traps, which maintain a high electric field at the drain edge.

Commercial solid-state drives (SSDs) were subjected to broad-spectrum neutron exposure at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) to analyze radiation-induced errors in components and functional interruptions in non-volatile memory express (NVMe) and serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) SSDs. The experiments revealed apparent sensitivity differences, with NVMe SSDs demonstrating better resistance at the module level due to advanced controller technology and enhanced error correction capabilities than SATA SSDs. For NVMe SSDs, functional interruptions were primarily identified as nand Flash faults, such as timeouts, and dynamic random access memory (DRAM) errors, such as stuck bits, while controller vulnerabilities contributed minimally. Moreover, this article examines the dominance of read errors as the primary failure mode in nand Flash and explores how the cumulative characteristic of these errors correlates with functional interruptions.

The Single-event Transient (SET) pulses triggered at the drain of NMOS with T-gate at various striking positions after heavy-ion striking are studied using Technical Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulation based on the 130 nm Fully Depleted Silicon on insulator (SOI) technology. Based on this technology, we design Flip-Flop chain circuits with different gate widths and gate lengths. The heavy ion irradiation experiment of the device is carried out.

AbstractTaiji is proposed as a space‐based gravitational wave (GW) observatory consisting of three spacecraft in a heliocentric orbit meanwhile with the distance of 3 million kilometers ahead of the Earth at about 20°. Free‐falling test masses (TMs) are a key component of the interferometer for space‐based GW detection in the 0.1mHz–1 Hz frequency range. Exposure to energetic particles in the space environment can lead to charging of the TMs and thus cause additional electrostatic forces and Lorentz forces that limit the sensitivity of the interferometer and may affect the quality of the scientific data. This study aims to model the charging of TMs during Galactic cosmic rays and solar proton events (SPEs) using the Monte Carlo simulation toolkit meanwhile with constructing the sophisticated 3D spacecraft. The results show that the total net charging rates are 34.48 +e/s and 33.85 +e/s on TM1 and TM2 during the solar minimum, and 9.58 +e/s on TM1 and 9.65 +e/s on TM2 during the solar maximum. We confirm that no matter for solar minimum or solar maximum, protons contribute to the largest proportion of the TMs charging rate. Furthermore, charging for five typical SPEs is also investigated, and the maximum TMs charging rate reaches 76,674 +e/s, indicating that sporadic SPEs have a high risk for TMs charging. Finally, the charging rates of a TM imitation are tested on ground by the 30–50 MeV proton irradiation experiment, and the experimental results show good consistence with the simulation results with the error <10%.

Herein, the development history, current status, and trends of microsystems are introduced, focusing on the introduction of new microsystems, namely system-on-chip and system-in-package. This work presents an analysis of the scientific problems faced by new microsystems; a summary of the current research status of radiation effects of new microsystems; and topics that need to be addressed for the application of new microsystems in radiation environments, namely radiation effect laws and mechanisms, radiation effect experimental testing methods, and radiation hardening technology. This work is expected to increase the investment in financial, material, and human resources; help solve key scientific problems encountered in the application of microsystems in radiation environments through major project research items; improve the reliability of domestic microsystems; and promote and guarantee the national defense application of domestic microsystems.

Radiation hardness of one α-Ga 2 O 3 nanorod array/FTO solar-blind photodetector against 50MeV protons was tested at the Huairou Proton Cyclotron, China. The α-Ga 2 O 3 nanorod array/FTO samples were first subjected to proton irradiation with fluence up to 5×10 13 p/cm 2 , and then used as the photoanode and the photoelectrochemical properties including the light current, dark current and responsivity were measured. We demonstrate that the responsivity of the photodetector at 0V is 37% declined at 5 × 10 12 p/cm 2 proton fluence. The photodetector can be still used to detect the UV light after 50MeV proton irradiations with fluence 5×10 12 p/cm 2 , implying its potential applications in space. The damage mechanism of the α-Ga 2 O 3 nanorod array/FTO samples due to proton irradiation is then analyzed using the SRIM&TRIM code, which indicates that both the ionization and displacement damage contribute to the responsivity degradation.

Radiation environments such as galactic cosmic rays，solar cosmic rays and radiation belts produce various space radiation effects on the components and astronauts，threaten the normal operation of spacecraft and life and health of astronauts. Material shielding is currently one of the most effective radiation protection measures and plays an important role in ensuring the smooth progress of aerospace missions. The research progress of space radiation shielding materials in different scenarios for three typical objects：components，astronauts，and aircraft platform protection is reviewed in this paper. Also the development direction of space radiation shielding materials such as metal composite materials and polymer materials is explored.

Unlike the Earth, the Moon lacks is not protected from the atmosphere and global magnetic field, and will be directly exposed to complex radiation environments such as high-energy cosmic rays, solar wind, and the Earth’s magnetotail plasma. The surface of the Moon is covered with a thick layer of lunar soil, and the particles in the soil with a diameter between 30 nm–20 μm are called lunar dust. In the complex environments such as solar wind or magnetotail plasma, lunar dust carries an electric charge and becomes charged lunar dust. Charged lunar dust is prone to migration under the action of the electric field on the lunar surface. Charged migrated lunar dust is easy to adhere to the surface of instruments and equipment, resulting in visual impairment, astronauts’ movement disorders, equipment mechanical blockage, sealing failure, and material wear, which affects the lunar exploration mission. As an important lunar exploration landing site, the lunar south pole receives special solar radiation and produces a special dust plasma environment due to its special location. In order to provide an environmental reference for lunar south pole exploration, it is necessary to explore the characteristics of the dust plasma environment in the lunar south pole and its impact. In view of the lunar south pole environment, The Spacecraft Plasma Interactions Software (SPIS) software developed by the European Space Agency is used to carry out modelling and simulation in this work. Through the simulation, the logarithmic distribution of the lunar dust space density in a range of 0–200 m at the lunar south pole, the potential distribution near the lunar surface, and the spatial distribution characteristics of plasma electrons and ions are obtained. The obtained lunar dust space density and lunar surface potential are similar to the previous theoretical derivation and field detection data, so the simulation results have high reliability. The spatial potential distribution and the spatial density distribution of electrons and ions in the lunar environment with and without lunar dust are compared. Finally, the conclusions can be drawn as follows. The space potential increases with altitude increasing. The potential at 0–10 m near the lunar south pole is about –40 V, and the space potential at 100 m is about –20 V. The density of lunar dust in an altitude range below 10 m is 107.22 m–3–104.66 m–3. The electron density in the dust plasma near the lunar surface is 105.47 m–3, and the ion density is 106.07 m–3, and both increase with altitude increasing. Charged lunar dust affects the spatial distribution of lunar dust, mainly through affecting the distribution of the space electric field, which leads to difference in electron distribution, but has little effect on ions.

Single-event transient (SET)-induced soft errors are becoming a more significant threat to the reliability of electronic systems in space, especially for advanced technologies. The SET pulse width, which is vulnerable to SET propagation, is a critical parameter for developing SET mitigation techniques. This paper investigates the pulse-broadening effect in the process of SET propagation in logic circuits and the SET-sensitive region distribution in the layout using the pulsed-laser mapping technique in logic circuits implemented with 28 nm Ultra-Thin Body and BOX (UTBB) FDSOI technology. The experiments were carried out at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to measure the SET-induced errors and map the SET-sensitive region distribution at various clock frequencies and laser energy levels. The results illustrate that the number of errors increases with the clock frequency and energy for combinational logic circuits and that the flip-flop SEU rate is less sensitive to clock frequency. The SET pulse-broadening effect was also observed using SET mapping for an OR gate chain at different laser energy levels. In addition, the simulation results revealed the mechanism of the SET pulse-broadening effect in an OR gate chain.

Taking particles in space radiation environment as the research background,the space par-ticle detection system using silicon micro-strip sensor as the probe and integrated chip IDE3160 for sig-nal processing is developed.The system is designed by using silicon micro-strip detection array,which is composed of two silicon micro-strip sensors as the front-end probe,and using digital signal processing method to obtain the position of space particle incident and the energy deposited in the unit length(Lin-ear Energy Transfer,LET)in the silicon micro-strip.From the perspective of the physical mechanism in-ducing single particle effects,the physical effects produced by contrasting heavy ions and pulsed lasers in silicon semiconductors are different.Pulsed laser of 1.064µm was used to test the system,and good LET linearity results were obtained:The time required for data acquisition is 2.47 ms,the detectable LET threshold is about 0.1 MeV·cm2·mg-1 and the Pearson correlation coefficient is about 0.998,indicating that the system measurement is in good agreement with the theoretical design.The system has a wide dynamic range,good linearity,high integration,scalability and portability,and can be mounted on a va-riety of space exploration satellites.

Small space debris impact induced discharge (SSDIID) and the subsequent electromagnetic interference is regarded as big threat to spacecraft safety. Using the on-ground simulation facility, the characteristic of SSDIID has been to some extent clarified, however, the relationship between impact induced discharge and the electromagnetic emission still remains elusive. In this work, we carry out the on-ground experimental simulation for the SSDIID and reveal its electromagnetic interference characteristics using the hypervelocity impact facility which comprises a plasma driving small space debris accelerator. We give the characteristics of the radio frequency radiation signal of SSDIID and analyze the interactions between the pulse electric field and the impact induced plasma. Specifically, we demonstrate that the impact induced discharge event can lead to very strong electromagnetic interference for the sensor circuit, which could be one fatal hazard for the spacecraft circuit system.