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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
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NASA NTRS2005

Reconfiguration of Analog Electronics for Extreme Environments: Problem or Solution?

This paper argues in favor of adaptive reconfiguration as a technique to expand the operational envelope of analog electronics for extreme environments (EE). In addition to hardening-by-process and hardening-by-design, "hardening-by-reconfiguration", when applicable, could be used to mitigate drifts, degradation, or damage on electronic devices (chips) in EE, by using re-configurable devices and an adaptive self-reconfiguration of their circuit topology. Conventional circuit design exploits device characteristics within a certain temperature/radiation range; when that is exceeded, the circuit function degrades. On a reconfigurable device, although component parameters change in EE, as long as devices still operate, albeit degraded, a new circuit design, suitable for new parameter values, may be mapped into the reconfigurable structure to recover the initial circuit function. Partly degraded resources are still used, while completely damaged resources are bypassed. Designs suitable for various environmental conditions can be determined prior to operation or can be determined in-situ, by adaptive reconfiguration algorithms running on built-in digital controllers. Laboratory demonstrations of this technique were performed by JPL in several independent experiments in which bulk CMOS reconfigurable devices were exposed to, and degraded by, low temperatures (approx. 196 C), high temperatures (approx.300 C) or radiation (300kRad TID), and then recovered by adaptive reconfiguration using evolutionary search algorithms. Taking this technology from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to TRL 5 is the target of a current NASA project.

Field Programmable Transistor Array (FPTA)↗
NASA NTRS2005

Reconfiguration of Analog Electronics for Extreme Environments

This paper argues in favor of adaptive reconfiguration as a technique to expand the operational envelope of analog electronics for extreme environments (EE). On a reconfigurable device, although component parameters change in EE, as long as devices still operate, albeit degraded, a new circuit design, suitable for new parameter values, may be mapped into the reconfigurable structure to recover the initial circuit function. Laboratory demonstrations of this technique were performed by JPL in several independent experiments in which bulk CMOS reconfgurable devices were exposed to, and degraded by, high temperatures (approx.300 C) or radiation (300kRad TID), and then recovered by adaptive reconfiguration using evolutionary search algorithms.

evolutionary search algorithms↗
NASA NTRS2007

Radiation Test Results for a MEMS Microshutter Operating at 60 K

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, is due to be launched in 2013 with the goal of searching the very distant Universe for stars that formed shortly after the Big Bang. Because this occurred so far back in time, the available light is strongly red-shifted, requiring the use of detectors sensitive to the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. HgCdTe infrared focal plane arrays, cooled to below 30 K to minimize noise, will be used to detect the faint signals. One of the instruments on JWST is the Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSPEC) designed to measure the infrared spectra of up to 100 separate galaxies simultaneously. A key component in NIRSPEC is a Micro-Electromechanical System (MEMS), a two-dimensional micro-shutter array (MSA) developed by NASA/GSFC. The MSA is inserted in front of the detector to allow only the light from the galaxies of interest to reach the detector and to block the light from all other sources. The MSA will have to operate at 30 K to minimize the amount of thermal radiation emitted by the optical components from reaching the detector array. It will also have to operate in the space radiation environment that is dominated by the MSA will be exposed to a large total ionizing dose of approximately 200 krad(Si). Following exposure to ionizing radiation, a variety of MEMS have exhibited performance degradation. MEMS contain moving parts that are either controlled or sensed by changes in electric fields. Radiation degradation can be expected for those devices where there is an electric field applied across an insulating layer that is part of the sensing or controlling structure. Ionizing radiation will liberate charge (electrons and holes) in the insulating layers, some of which may be trapped within the insulating layer. Trapped charge will partially cancel the externally applied electric field and lead to changes in the operation of the MEMS. This appears to be a general principle for MEMS. Knowledge of the above principle has raised the concern at NASA that the MSA might also exhibit degraded performance because, i) each shutter flap is a multilayer structure consisting of metallic and insulating layers and ii) the movement of the shutter flaps is partially controlled by the application of an electric field between the shutter flap and the substrate (vertical support grid). The whole mission would be compromised if radiation exposure were to prevent the shutters from opening and closing properly. energetic ionizing particles. Because it is located A unique feature of the MSA is that, as outside the spacecraft and has very little shielding, previously mentioned, it will have to operate at temperatures near 30 K. To date, there are no published reports on how very low temperatures (- 30K) affect the response of MEMS devices to total ionizing dose. Experiments on SiO2 structures at low temperatures (80 K) indicate that the electrons generated by the ionizing radiation are mobile and will move rapidly under the application of an external electric field. Holes, on the other hand, that would normally move in the opposite direction through the SiO2 via a "thermal hopping" process, are effectively immobile at low electric fields as they are trapped close to their generation sites. However, for sufficiently large electric fields (greater than 3 MV/cm) holes are able to move through the SiO2. The larger the field, the more rapidly the holes move. The separation of the electrons and holes leads to a reduced electric field within the insulating layer. To overcome this reduction in electric field, a greater external voltage will have to be applied that alters the normal operation of the device. This report presents the results of radiation testing of the MSA at 60 K. The temperature was higher than the targeted temperature because of a faulty electrical interconnect on the test board. Specifically, our goal was to determine whether the MSA would function propey after a TID of 200 krad(Si).

Rapchun, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Commercial Sensory Survey Radiation Testing Progress Report

The NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program Sensor Technology Commercial Sensor Survey task is geared toward benefiting future NASA space missions with low-cost, short-duty-cycle, visible imaging needs. Such applications could include imaging for educational outreach purposes or short surveys of spacecraft, planetary, or lunar surfaces. Under the task, inexpensive commercial grade CMOS sensors were surveyed in fiscal year 2007 (FY07) and three sensors were selected for total ionizing dose (TID) and displacement damage dose (DDD) tolerance testing. The selected sensors had to meet selection criteria chosen to support small, low-mass cameras that produce good resolution color images. These criteria are discussed in detail in [1]. This document discusses the progress of radiation testing on the Micron and OmniVision sensors selected in FY07 for radiation tolerance testing.

Micron↗
NASA NTRS2007

Total Dose Effects on Error Rates in Linear Bipolar Systems

The shapes of single event transients in linear bipolar circuits are distorted by exposure to total ionizing dose radiation. Some transients become broader and others become narrower. Such distortions may affect SET system error rates in a radiation environment. If the transients are broadened by TID, the error rate could increase during the course of a mission, a possibility that has implications for hardness assurance.

Buchner, Stephen↗
NASA NTRS2008

Total Dose Effects on Single Event Transients in Linear Bipolar Systems

Single Event Transients (SETs) originating in linear bipolar integrated circuits are known to undermine the reliability of electronic systems operating in the radiation environment of space. Ionizing particle radiation produces a variety of SETs in linear bipolar circuits. The extent to which these SETs threaten system reliability depends on both their shapes (amplitude and width) and their threshold energies. In general, SETs with large amplitudes and widths are the most likely to propagate from a bipolar circuit's output through a subsystem. The danger these SET pose is that, if they become latched in a follow-on circuit, they could cause an erroneous system response. Long-term exposure of linear bipolar circuits to particle radiation produces total ionizing dose (TID) and/or displacement damage dose (DDD) effects that are characterized by a gradual degradation in some of the circuit's electrical parameters. For example, an operational amplifier's gain-bandwidth product is reduced by exposure to ionizing radiation, and it is this reduction that contributes to the distortion of the SET shapes. In this paper, we compare SETs produced in a pristine LM124 operational amplifier with those produced in one exposed to ionizing radiation for three different operating configurations - voltage follower (VF), inverter with gain (IWG), and non-inverter with gain (NIWG). Each configuration produces a unique set of transient shapes that change following exposure to ionizing radiation. An important finding is that the changes depend on operating configuration; some SETs decrease in amplitude, some remain relatively unchanged, some become narrower and some become broader.

Buchner, Stephen↗
NASA NTRS2009

Performance of the THS4302 and the Class V Radiation-Tolerant THS4304-SP Silicon Germanium Wideband Amplifiers at Extreme Temperatures

This report discusses the performance of silicon germanium, wideband gain amplifiers under extreme temperatures. The investigated devices include Texas Instruments THS4304-SP and THS4302 amplifiers. Both chips are manufactured using the BiCom3 process based on silicon germanium technology along with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) buried oxide layers. The THS4304-SP device was chosen because it is a Class V radiation-tolerant (150 kRad, TID silicon), voltage-feedback operational amplifier designed for use in high-speed analog signal applications and is very desirable for NASA missions. It operates with a single 5 V power supply [1]. It comes in a 10-pin ceramic flatpack package, and it provides balanced inputs, low offset voltage and offset current, and high common mode rejection ratio. The fixed-gain THS4302 chip, which comes in a 16-pin leadless package, offers high bandwidth, high slew rate, low noise, and low distortion [2]. Such features have made the amplifier useful in a number of applications such as wideband signal processing, wireless transceivers, intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) preamplifier, digital-to-analog converter (DAC) output buffer, measurement instrumentation, and medical and industrial imaging.

Patterson, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Radiation Tests on 2Gb NAND Flash Memories

We report on SEE and TID tests of highly scaled Samsung 2Gbits flash memories. Both in-situ and biased interval irradiations were used to characterize the response of the total accumulated dose failures. The radiation-induced failures can be categorized as followings: single event upset (SEU) read errors in biased and unbiased modes, write errors, and single-event-functional-interrupt (SEFI) failures.

NAND circuits↗
NASA NTRS2005

Total Ionizing Dose Effects in Bipolar and BiCMOS Devices

This paper describes total ionizing dose (TID) test results performed at JPL. Bipolar and BiCMOS device samples were tested exhibiting significant degradation and failures at different irradiation levels. Linear technology which is susceptible to low-dose dependency (ELDRS) exhibited greater damage for devices tested under zero bias condition.

radiation effects↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Effect of Total Ionizing Dose Degradation of Laptop Hard Disks

A series of total ionizing dose (TID) measurements were performed on commercial hard drives to explore the possible uses of the devices for the high radiation mission, and to help the understanding of the reliability of current hard drive technology. Three different models from three major manufacturers were tested with the aid of a commercial hard drive test system.

laptop computers↗
NASA NTRS2009

Using FLUKA to Calculate Spacecraft: Single Event Environments: A Practical Approach

The FLUKA nuclear transport and reaction code can be developed into a practical tool for calculation of spacecraft and planetary surface asset SEE and TID environments. Nuclear reactions and secondary particle shower effects can be estimated with acceptable accuracy both in-flight and in test. More detailed electronic device and/or spacecraft geometries than are reported here are possible using standard FLUKA geometry utilities. Spacecraft structure and shielding mass. Effects of high Z elements in microelectronic structure as reported previously. Median shielding mass in a generic slab or concentric sphere target geometry are at least approximately applicable to more complex spacecraft shapes. Need the spacecraft shielding mass distribution function applicable to the microelectronic system of interest. SEE environment effects can be calculated for a wide range of spacecraft and microelectronic materials with complete nuclear physics. Evaluate benefits of low Z shielding mass can be evaluated relative to aluminum. Evaluate effects of high Z elements as constituents of microelectronic devices. The principal limitation on the accuracy of the FLUKA based method reported here are found in the limited accuracy and incomplete character of affordable heavy ion test data. To support accurate rate estimates with any calculation method, the aspect ratio of the sensitive volume(s) and the dependence must be better characterized.

Koontz, Steve↗
NASA NTRS2010

Spacecraft Solar Particle Event (SPE) Shielding: Shielding Effectiveness as a Function of SPE model as Determined with the FLUKA Radiation Transport Code

Analysis of both satellite and surface neutron monitor data demonstrate that the widely utilized Exponential model of solar particle event (SPE) proton kinetic energy spectra can seriously underestimate SPE proton flux, especially at the highest kinetic energies. The more recently developed Band model produces better agreement with neutron monitor data ground level events (GLEs) and is believed to be considerably more accurate at high kinetic energies. Here, we report the results of modeling and simulation studies in which the radiation transport code FLUKA (FLUktuierende KAskade) is used to determine the changes in total ionizing dose (TID) and single-event environments (SEE) behind aluminum, polyethylene, carbon, and titanium shielding masses when the assumed form (i. e., Band or Exponential) of the solar particle event (SPE) kinetic energy spectra is changed. FLUKA simulations have fully three dimensions with an isotropic particle flux incident on a concentric spherical shell shielding mass and detector structure. The effects are reported for both energetic primary protons penetrating the shield mass and secondary particle showers caused by energetic primary protons colliding with shielding mass nuclei. Our results, in agreement with previous studies, show that use of the Exponential form of the event

Koontz, Steve↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Deterministic Electron, Photon, Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Transport Suite for the Study of the Jovian System

A deterministic suite of radiation transport codes, developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), which describe the transport of electrons, photons, protons, and heavy ions in condensed media is used to simulate exposures from spectral distributions typical of electrons, protons and carbon-oxygen-sulfur (C-O-S) trapped heavy ions in the Jovian radiation environment. The particle transport suite consists of a coupled electron and photon deterministic transport algorithm (CEPTRN) and a coupled light particle and heavy ion deterministic transport algorithm (HZETRN). The primary purpose for the development of the transport suite is to provide a means for the spacecraft design community to rapidly perform numerous repetitive calculations essential for electron, proton and heavy ion radiation exposure assessments in complex space structures. In this paper, the radiation environment of the Galilean satellite Europa is used as a representative boundary condition to show the capabilities of the transport suite. While the transport suite can directly access the output electron spectra of the Jovian environment as generated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Galileo Interim Radiation Electron (GIRE) model of 2003; for the sake of relevance to the upcoming Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM), the 105 days at Europa mission fluence energy spectra provided by JPL is used to produce the corresponding dose-depth curve in silicon behind an aluminum shield of 100 mils ( 0.7 g/sq cm). The transport suite can also accept ray-traced thickness files from a computer-aided design (CAD) package and calculate the total ionizing dose (TID) at a specific target point. In that regard, using a low-fidelity CAD model of the Galileo probe, the transport suite was verified by comparing with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations for orbits JOI--J35 of the Galileo extended mission (1996-2001). For the upcoming EJSM mission with a potential launch date of 2020, the transport suite is used to compute the traditional aluminum-silicon dose-depth calculation as a standard shield-target combination output, as well as the shielding response of high charge (Z) shields such as tantalum (Ta). Finally, a shield optimization algorithm is used to guide the instrument designer with the choice of graded-Z shield analysis.

Norman, Ryan B.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Plug-and-Play Environmental Monitoring Spacecraft Subsystem

A Space Environment Monitor (SEM) subsystem architecture has been developed and demonstrated that can benefit future spacecraft by providing (1) real-time knowledge of the spacecraft state in terms of exposure to the environment; (2) critical, instantaneous information for anomaly resolution; and (3) invaluable environmental data for designing future missions. The SEM architecture consists of a network of plug-and- play (PnP) Sensor Interface Units (SIUs), each servicing one or more environmental sensors. The SEM architecture is influenced by the IEEE Smart Transducer Interface Bus standard (IEEE Std 1451) for its PnP functionality. A network of PnP Spacecraft SIUs is enabling technology for gathering continuous real-time information critical to validating spacecraft health in harsh space environments. The demonstrated system that provided a proof-of-concept of the SEM architecture consisted of three SIUs for measurement of total ionizing dose (TID) and single event upset (SEU) radiation effects, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and deep dielectric charging through use of a prototype Internal Electro-Static Discharge Monitor (IESDM). Each SIU consists of two stacked 2X2 in. (approximately 5X5 cm) circuit boards: a Bus Interface Unit (BIU) board that provides data conversion, processing and connection to the SEM power-and-data bus, and a Sensor Interface Electronics (SIE) board that provides sensor interface needs and data path connection to the BIU.

Patel, Jagdish↗