US 2026/0309880 A1 · NEUTRON EVENT RATE DETECTOR

Abstract

A system and method for measuring high-flux neutron event rates is described. Microelectronic components including an active device with controller circuitry and a processor with high-speed capabilities are used to detect functional error modes caused by neutron single event effects when neutrons interact with semiconductor structures, generating secondary particles that create charge deposits near active junctions. The detection methodology measures neutron event rates through two independent approaches—event counting and timing analysis—where the system calculates neutron flux by determining error rates and analyzing time distributions between events following exponential behavior, with processing occurring through firmware and software components operating at MHz frequencies that detect, reset, and analyze functional errors.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A neutron event rate detector (NERD) system, the system comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) device configured to detect functional error modes in the IC device caused by neutron single event effects;
a real-time data acquisition system coupled to the IC device to collect and monitor error data of the IC device;
and
a processor coupled to the IC device and the real-time data acquisition system configured to:
detect functional errors in the IC device caused by neutron single event effects;
determine at least one of a rate of error events based on a number of the functional errors detected over a predefined time period or a time between the error events;
and
calculate neutron flux using calibration parameters and the at least one of the rate of error events and time between error events.

5 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of an apparatus of an integrated circuit (IC) device, the instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

monitor the IC device for functional error modes caused by neutron single event effects;
detect functional errors in the IC device;
determine a rate of error events based on a number of detected errors over a predefined time period;
determine a time between the error events;
and
calculate neutron flux using calibration parameters and the rate of error events and the time between events.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Neutron event rate detector

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Neutron event rate detector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20