subject: Npfs - Are They Caused By Soft Errors? [print this page] Because devices are always getting smaller there is more of a chance that clients will get soft errors affecting circuits. The International Reliability Physics Symposium was held in May 2010 in Anaheim, CA. The symposium dedicated a section of the event to Soft Errors.
16 papers on soft error sources and effects were presented. Often asked was "What are soft errors?", which was answered along with many, many other questions.
Any circuit can have a change in state or output ... these are soft errors. Soft errors are not permanent and can be corrected easily.
Particles that can generate a charge often bring on soft errors by changing an IC. Alpha particles and neutrons are the two basic particle types. Alpha particles are from radioactive isotopes. They are naturally occurring and can contaminate IC process chemicals. Cosmic rays hit the earth's atmosphere and the reaction originates neutrons.
The end result of these errors will be product returns and unhappy customers. It is imperative that soft errors be found and remedied. The systems need to be able to upgrade to correct any soft errors that occur. Smaller devices mean greatly reduced charge amounts that can upset circuits.
Is it possible to simply eliminate the error sources right off? How can we best deal with soft errors? Manufacturer's all agree that it is very expensive to reduce alpha particles. Even thick concrete doesn't stop neutrons from penetrating making it hard to shield from them. For this reason mitigation techniques are most practical for a product design that is reliability.
If you are having trouble with high NPF rates, it is wise to call in professionals to review your system. This process will turn up problems and issues and ensure that it is soft errors causing the NPF's.
