The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 19, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 19, 2000
Sunil Narayan Shabde, Cupertino, CA (US);
Richard C. Blish, II, Saratoga, CA (US);
Donald L. Wollesen, Saratoga, CA (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
Method for determining the robustness of a device to soft errors generated by alpha-particle and/or cosmic ray strikes. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of estimating energies of the alpha-particle and/or cosmic ray strikes; computing a number of electron-hole pairs generated for a predetermined distance of travel by the alpha-particle and/or cosmic ray into the device based on the estimated energies; computing the absorption coefficient in silicon for a light pulse with a predetermined wavelength; computing a first pulse width/intensity for the light pulse to generate the number of electron-hole pairs for the predetermined distance of travel by the light pulse into the device; producing the light pulse, the light pulse having a light pulse energy which is controlled by a pulse width and an intensity, wherein the pulse width/intensity is at a second pulse width/intensity which is less than the first pulse width/intensity and the light pulse energy is at a first light pulse energy which is low enough to avoid generating soft errors in the device; applying the light pulse to the device at a predetermined location; varying the light pulse energy to a second light pulse energy to generate a soft error; and detecting soft errors in the device. The present invention additionally provides an inexpensive method that would accurately simulate an alpha-particle and/or cosmic ray strike in predetermined areas of a memory cell.