Ionizing radiation response of the 4558 analog processor / analog-to-digital converter

Abstract

The Northrop Grumman 4558 Analog Processor / Analog-to-Digital Converter was evaluated for tolerance to ionizing radiation at moderate doses. Radiation-induced shifts in non-linearity, noise, gain, offset and power dissipation are inferred from the transfer characteristics. Neither irradiation nor post-irradiation anneal has a measurable effect on the performance parameters. The radiation hardness is attributed in part to a p+ guardband under the isolation oxides. Given measurement error, acceptable beginning-of-life parametric ranges are provided to ensure specification compliance when only one set of measurements is performed.