Method of determining the particle sensitivity of electronic components

A method for characterising the sensitivity to energy interactions of an electronic component, comprising:

• the electronic component is put into operation,
• the electronic component thus put into operation is excited by excitations produced by a laser radiation,
• a malfunction of the electronic component Put into operation, corresponding to these excitations, is measured,
• a mapping is made of the sensitivity zones of the component in which these excitations have an effect,
• a program of simulation of stress applied by a particle prompting energy interactions is applied to the mapping of the sensitivity zones,
• this simulation program produces a large number of possible paths taken by the particles in the component and, in the case of a neutrons and protons, a large number of reactions extracted from a data base,
• this simulation program implements a charge collection model from these possible paths and from the mapping of the sensitivity of the component,
• this simulation program analyzes these charge collections and decides on the occurrence of errors related to these charge collections,
• the quality signal of the component is deduced from this analysis and from these decisions.
• a data base is used, in the case of the neutrons and the protons, providing information on products and probabilities of possible nuclear reactions, and
• the effect of the ionization on the working of the components is measured.