![[RADNEXT] Thermal neutron effects in electronic components](/event/1198078/logo-1015562568.png){kind=logo}
Speaker
Description
Radiation effects often dominate reliability failures in electronics. This is particularly true in high reliability terrestrial environments encountered in autonomous vehicles, supercomputer clusters, industrial (medical and nuclear) electronics, and aerospace electronics; anywhere that a failure, even a “soft” one, can lead to loss of life or mission failure. After a quick review of the primary environments where thermal neutrons are present in relatively high concentrations, we consider the primary nuclear reaction of concern - the interaction between 10B and thermal neutrons. We then examine the various ways and regions in which 10B is introduced or accumulated in the semiconductor fabrication process. We consider some methods of mitigation from the IC manufacturing and packaging point of view and highlight the need for thermal neutron test facilities and standardized methodologies for dealing with and determining the thermal neutron component of SEE.
