Single Event Upset Testing with Relativistic Heavy Ions

Two bipolar devices, the AMD 2901B microprocessor and the AMD 27LS00 256-bit RAM, have been tested for single event upset using relativistic heavy ions. Upset thresholds and asymptotic cross sections have been measured with iron, argon and neon beams having cosmic ray energies. Further, the magnitude of the funnel effect in the 2901B was determined by irradiating the device at normal incidence and at large angles and comparing the observed upset thresholds. Combinatorial logic upsets were seen in the 2901B and their cross section measured. The 27LS00 exhibited multibit upset produced by single ions penetrating the device edge-on.