A Rapid, Pulsed Laser Testing Approach for Single Event Latch-Up Screening

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has developed a custom pulsed laser single event effects testing facility utilizing a tunable wavelength (680–1080 nm), 140 fs, 80 MHz, Ti:sapphire laser. This system uses a pair of galvanometric mirrors to steer the laser beam across a field-of-view (FOV) to provide a rapid screening capability not available in traditional fixed laser beam testing systems. This article focuses on demonstrating the rapid screening capabilities of the SNL galvo-based laser system by screening an analog-to-digital converter (AD9240) which is known to be sensitive to single event latch-up (SEL). We compare the laser pulse energy thresholds required to induce SEL and the scanning speeds with measurements obtained from a traditional fixed-beam, low-repetition rate laser system. Our results show that rapid detection capabilities can be achieved without compromising SEL threshold determination. Additionally, an integrated imaging system has been designed to provide real-time visualization of SEL-sensitive nodes via emission microscopy (EMMI).