Single-Event Latchup in a CMOS-Based ASIC Using Heavy Ions, Laser Pulses, and Coupled Simulation

In this paper, we investigate single-event latchup (SEL) in complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS)-based flip-flop structures combining heavy ions, laser pulses, and simulation. In the framework of exploring the use of lasers for single-event sensitivity studies, we have compared SEL cross sections obtained with these techniques. The spatial resolution of the laser provided the sensitivity map of a flip-flop cell using various laser energies, highlighting the origin of SEL occurrence in link with topology. Latchup current distributions were then intensely analyzed over the cell and the whole application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to understand their sources, supported by simulation. A cross correlation was performed with heavy-ion test data to show the potential and the limits of laser techniques for both global and detailed SEL analysis.