ON THE SUITABILITY OF NONHARDENED HIGH-DENSITY SRAMS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

Several non-radiation-hardened high density static RAMs (SRAMs) were tested for susceptibility to single event upset (SEU) and latchup. Test results indicate that at present only a few such device types are suitable for use in space applications. Several additional factors such as susceptibility to multiple-bit upsets and to radiation induced permanent damage need to be taken into consideration before these device types can be recommended. One non-hardened SRAM device type has recently been used on a low-Earth orbit satellite, enabling the upset rate measured in space to be compared to that predicted from ground-based testing.