An Investigation of Total Ionizing Dose Damage on a Pulse Generator Intended for Space-Based Impulse Radio UWB Transceivers

We investigate, for the first time, the effects of total ionizing dose (TID) on a CMOS pulse generator implemented in a SiGe BiCMOS platform, and which is intended for use in space-based impulse radio ultra-wideband transceivers. The pulse generator was fabricated in Jazz Semiconductor's SBC18-H3 SiGe BiCMOS process technology, which combines 250 GHz SiGe HBTs and 180 nm CMOS. Total dose effects were examined using a 10-keV X-ray source. The effects of the TID on the performance of the pulse generator were investigated and a compensation scheme for mitigating these radiation effects is proposed.