The Effects of Space Radiation on Mosfet Devices and Some Application Implications of Those Effects

MOSFET devices and microcircuits have been designed and built into flight hardware for use in open operational spacecraft (IMP D&E) by NASA/GSFC. A look at some of the engineering results associated with studying this class of devices for use in these applications is reviewed here. In addition, there is a first-cut engineering study for comparison of performance, in a simulated space radiation environment, of two types of MOSFET's and the newer experimental silicon nitrite devices (MNS-FET). The experiments reported upon are application parameter oriented and of limited sample size. Therefore, no attempt is made to draw any far-reaching conclusions about MOSFET's in general, nor are any devices physics oriented interpretations included.