Method for radiation hardening semiconductor devices and integrated circuits to latch-up effects

摘要

A method for eliminating the latch-up effect in integrated circuits having parasitic pnpn structures has been described comprising the step of irradiating the circuit with high energy particulate ions to provide low lifetime regions in the circuit to lower parasitic transistor gain. PPThe invention overcomes the problem of latch-up effect in integrated circuits where parasitic pnpn structures act as thyristors or silicon-controlled rectifiers which provide a low impedance path across the pnpn structure when the thyristor or silicon-controlled rectifier is turned on such as by transient ionizing radiation or by transient circuit voltages which forward bias the external junctions of the pnpn structure.