Advancements in Deep Cryogenic Electronics Utilizing Field-Programmable Gate Arrays

Electronic systems capable of operating cold at deep cryogenic temperatures, sometimes close to absolute zero are in growing demand. New developments in high performance instrumentation, quantum computing, experimental physics, and spaceborne systems are increasing the need for this kind of electronics. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are a good option for providing the circuitry solution to support these applications. In this work we describe requirements for the reliable operation of digital circuits and analog to digital converters utilizing commercially available deep submicron FPGAs. We will analyze and characterize devices based on 28 nm HPL process offered by TSMC and widely available on commercially available as off-the-shelf (COTS) devices. The characterization of these devices is focused mainly on power dissipation, speed performance, and non-uniform heat distribution at temperatures ranging from 4.2K to 77K.