Extensions of the burst generation rate method for wider application to proton/neutron-Induced single event effects

The Burst Generation Rate (BGR) method, originally developed to calculate single event upset (SEU) rates in microelectronics due to neutrons and protons, has been extended for wider application, allowing cross sections for both SEU and single event latchup (SEL) to be calculated, and comparisons to be made with measured data. The method uses the Weibull fit to accurately represent the behavior of the heavy ion SEU cross section. Proton SEU cross sections in RAMs, microprocessors and FPGAs are calculated, with agreement generally to within a factor of 2-3, and similar results are obtained for neutron cross sections for both cosmic ray and fission spectra, The BGR method is also be modified to calculate cross sections for proton/neutron induced SEL. Agreement is generally good for SEL for most devices, but there are also limitations, since some very modern devices are shown to have unusually high susceptibility to SEL by protons/neutrons.