A non-destructive method of testing for radiation hardness of integrated circuits

There has existed a long-standing need to design integrated circuits that withstand the effects of ionizing radiation as part of the effort to obtain radiation hardened electronic systems. The results of design efforts require testing to verify the degree of radiation hardness achieved. But testing that involves the application of ionizing radiation directly is destructive and can only be applied during product development. In this paper, we have proposed a non-destructive method of testing for radiation hardness of integrated circuits using high magnetic fields. Experimental data is included to show the correlation between the effects of ionizing radiation and high magnetic fields on the current-voltage characteristics of transistors and the input-output voltage transfer characteristics of logic gates. A preliminary estimate is made that 8 T of magnetic fields can produce the same effect as 1 Megarad (Si) of total ionizing radiation dose for testing purposes.