IEC 60749-38:2008

FOREWORD
1 Scope
2 Terms and definitions
3 Test apparatus
  3.1 Measurement equipment
  3.2 Alpha radiation source
      3.2.1 Background information
      3.2.2 Preferred sources
      3.2.3 Variation in results
      3.2.4 Effect of high radiation levels
      3.2.5 Measurement accuracy
    3.3 Test sample
4 Procedure
  4.1 Alpha radiation accelerated soft error test
      4.1.1 Surface preparation
      4.1.2 Power supply voltage
      4.1.3 Ambient temperature
      4.1.4 Core cycle time
      4.1.5 Data pattern
      4.1.6 Distance between chip and radiation source
      4.1.7 Number of measurement samples
  4.2 Real-time soft error test
      4.2.1 General
      4.2.2 Power supply voltage
      4.2.3 Ambient temperature
      4.2.4 Operating frequency
      4.2.5 Data pattern
      4.2.6 Test time
      4.2.7 Number of test samples
      4.2.8 Environmental neutron testing
  4.3 Neutron radiation accelerated soft error test
5 Evaluation
  5.1 Alpha radiation accelerated soft error test
  5.2 Real-time soft error test
6 Summary
Bibliography

This part of IEC 60749 establishes a procedure for measuring the soft error susceptibility of semiconductor devices with memory when subjected to energetic particles such as alpha radiation. Two tests are described; an accelerated test using an alpha radiation source and an (unaccelerated) real-time system test where any errors are generated under conditions of naturally occurring radiation which can be alpha or other radiation such as neutron. To completely characterize the soft error capability of an integrated circuit with memory, the device must be tested for broad high energy spectrum and thermal neutrons using additional test methods. This test method may be applied to any type of integrated circuit with memory device.