Charge-Collection and Single-Event Upset Measurements at the ISIS Neutron Source

• Published in: IEEE transactions on nuclear science Vol. 55; no. 4; pp. 2126 - 2132
• Main Authors: Platt, S., Torok, Z., Frost, C.D., Ansell, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01-08-2008; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Cadmium; Charge coupled devices; Cross sections; Current measurement; Devices; dosimetry; Equivalence; Fast neutrons; Field programmable gate arrays; Ice; Instruments; Intersymbol interference; neutron beams; neutron radiation effects; Neutron sources; Neutrons; Pollution measurement; semiconductor device radiation effects; Single event upset; Thermal neutrons
• ISSN: 0018-9499; 1558-1578
• DOI: 10.1109/TNS.2008.918518

Charge-collection measurements at the VESUVIO instrument at ISIS are described. Neutron SEU cross sections in SRAM-based FPGAs are measured. Results are compared to equivalent data from Los Alamos Neutron Science Center ICE House. The rate of single-event effects due to fast neutrons at VESUVIO is approximately 15% of that at LANSCE. In addition there is a strong thermal and epithermal component, sufficient to cause many events in devices containing small amounts of 10 B. The effects of low-energy neutrons on a commercial CCD contaminated with traces of 10 B are described. Cadmium shielding is found to be incompletely effective in separating the effects of fast and slow neutrons, and the implications for testing protocols and instrument design are discussed.