Radiation hardened microcircuits

Abstract

A method of radiation hardening microcircuits including the steps of removing hydrogen from the microcircuit in a vacuum furnace and annealing in deuterium-containing forming gas.

1. A silicon-based semiconductor microcircuit radiation hardening method comprised of:
 heating the microcircuit in a vacuum furnace to remove any hydrogen in the microcircuit structure; and  
 annealing the microcircuit with deuterium containing forming gas.  
 
   
   
     2. The radiation hardening method of  claim 1 , wherein the microcircuit is heated in a vacuum for approximately 1 hour at between 400 and 700° C. 
   
   
     3. The radiation hardening method of  claim 2 , wherein the microcircuit is heated in a vacuum of 10 −6  torr or less. 
   
   
     4. The radiation hardening method of  claim 3 , wherein the microcircuit is annealed in deuterium-containing forming gas for about 30 minutes at about 400° C. 
   
   
     5. The radiation hardening method of  claim 3 , wherein the microcircuit includes MOSFET devices. 
   
   
     6. The radiation hardening method of  claim 3 , wherein the microcircuit includes EEPROM devices. 
   
   
     7. A radiation hardened silicon-based semiconductor microcircuit prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
 fabricating the microcircuit using standard techniques of silicon-based microelectronics up to the step of passivation using a forming gas anneal;  
 heating the microcircuit in a vacuum furnace to remove any hydrogen in the microcircuit structure; and  
 annealing the microcircuit with deuterium containing forming gas.  
 
   
   
     8. The radiation hardened semiconductor microcircuit of  claim 7 , wherein during the heating step, the microcircuit is heated in a vacuum for approximately 1 hour at about 500° C. 
   
   
     9. The radiation hardened semiconductor microcircuit of  claim 8 , wherein during the heating step, the microcircuit is heated in a vacuum of 10 −6  torr or less. 
   
   
     10. The radiation hardened semiconductor microcircuit of  claim 9 , wherein the microcircuit is annealed in deuterium-containing forming gas for about 30 minutes at about 400° C. 
   
   
     11. A radiation hardened silicon-based semiconductor microcircuit prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
 fabricating the microcircuit using standard techniques of silicon-based microelectronics up to the step of heating the microcircuit;  
 heating the microcircuit in a vacuum; and  
 annealing the microcircuit with deuterium-containing forming gas.  
 
   
   
     12. A radiation hardened silicon-based semiconductor microcircuit prepared by a process comprised of:
 fabricating the microcircuit using standard techniques of silicon-based microelectronics except that deuterium is substituted for hydrogen in any fabrication step that involves hydrogen gas or hydrogen-containing species, and  
 heating the microcircuit in a vacuum.