Single Event Effect Analysis of SiGe Low Noise Amplifier

Abstract

This paper analyzes the single event transient (SET) response of low noise amplifier (LNA) designed using SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT). To verify the radiation tolerance of the proposed LNA, a total of four cascode configurations were designed. Comprehensive mixed-mode simulations were performed to evaluate the SET susceptibility of considered LNA cascode configurations, and we have analyzed how the strike parameters affect their output response. In this fact the strike position, linear energy transfer (LET), and track radius, were varied, and the resulting transients were compared for the different LNA configurations. Through this study, the potential capability of the inverse mode SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) in LNA radiation tolerance was confirmed for various strike operating conditions. It has been demonstrated that the single event sensitivity was reduced for LNA employing inverse mode SiGe HBT for strike device. The strike influence on the different LNA configurations response depends on strike LET, where a reduced SET variation is observed for high LET.