Radiation Characterization of a Radiation Hardened Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) Driver and Receiver

Abstract

Low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) is becoming increasingly common in systems where high-speed, low-power data transfer across physical layer interfaces is required. In this work, the heavy ion and dose rate radiation response of a LVDS driver and receiver is evaluated and understood though various simulation techniques. A novel database approach to heavy ion simulations is introduced which effectively models the charge collection with respect to linear energy transfer (LET), time, circuit bias and strike location at 85 different locations in the circuit. Sensitive areas for each transistor in the circuit and single-event cross sections are recorded for several different test conditions. A dose rate simulation methodology is used which utilizes photocurrent models calibrated to previous test data of the semiconductor process used in the LVDS device fabrication. Dose rate simulations evaluate the circuit photocurrents as well as dose rate induced phenomena such as pushout, jitter, glitch upset and recovery time.