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RAD-HARD AND RAD-TOL EDC- MARKET OVERVIEW
Radiation hardening is the process of developing electronic components that continue to
remain unaffected by damage caused by radiations which come across in high-altitude
flights, around nuclear reactors, particle accelerators, during nuclear accidents or nuclear
warfare or the space. On the other hand, radiation tolerant devices are which can operate
efficiently when exposed to radiation only when certain precautions and mitigations are
taken care of. This is however comparatively lesser protection from radiation as compared
to radiation hardening. The report takes into account the global radiation hardened and
radiation tolerant electronic devices and components market which has been divided into
five segments: by products, by material, by product-type, by end-user and by geography.
The radiation hardened and radiation tolerant components form a vital part of many
applications, such as in space, military and defense and others. Hence, to check the
efficiency of these components, these are put under various tests such as Total Ionizing
Dose (TID), Enhanced Low Dose Rate Effects (ELDRS), neutron and proton displacement
damage, and Single Event Effects (SEE, Single Event Transients (SET), Single Event Latchup
(SEL) and SEB).
A Single Event Upset (SEU) is a change of state caused by ions or electro-magnetic radiation
striking a sensitive node in a micro-electronic device, such as in a microprocessor,
semiconductor memory, or power transistors. The state change is a result of the free charge
created by ionization in or close to an important node of a logic element, for instance,
memory bit.
A Single Event Transient (SET) is a voltage glitch caused by single event to propagate
through the circuit in a digital or analog circuit.
A Single Event Latch-up (SEL) is an abnormal high-current state in a device caused by the
passage of a single energetic particle through sensitive regions of the device structure and
resulting in the loss of device functionality.
A Single Event Burnout (SEB) is another state of device failure that can be triggered by the
passing of a heavy ion through a MOSFET when biased in its off state.
The NEPP program is responsible for developing the plans and leading the research on
reliability and radiation response in the space and aeronautics environments. They generate
technical knowledge about reliability, test methods, application and supply chain quality
within the context of NASA space flight missions and hardware. However, this information is
provided to NASA through web pages, publications and links published on the website. The
below table showcases the main testing facilities for product OEMs to conduct certification
tests and also to improve or customize their offerings according to the customer
requirements.