Influence of ionizing radiation on the conducted electromagnetic emission of integrated circuits

This article discusses the effects of ionizing radiation on the electromagnetic compatibility behaviour of an integrated circuit. The conducted electromagnetic emission is thereby investigated using an established measurement method, the 150-Ohm method according to IEC 61967-4. In these studies it is used to characterize the emissions at one of the outputs of a test IC at various radiation doses. The irradiation is carried out up to a dose of 1.5 Mrad with an X-Ray radiation source. The emission of the integrated circuit is measured prior to and after the irradiation. The measurements carried out have shown that the spurious emissions have changed after irradiation. The measurements are supported by circuit-level simulations that take into account the irradiation damage effects. Based on these investigations, an attempt is made to describe a simple, combined test method for determining the influence of ionizing radiation on the electromagnetic compatibility behaviour of ICs. Finally, techniques for characterizing chip-level electromagnetic emissions are discussed with respect to their suitability for combined qualification of electromagnetic compatibility and radiation hardness assurance.