Radiation detecting electronic device and methods of operating

• US 7,902,520 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Batam PT (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Spansion LLC (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Clopton, Patrick Mark, Fullwood, Clayton, Hossain, Timothy Z., Posey, Dan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taningco; Marcus H
• Application Number:
  US12/340,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20100155618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.05, 250/395, 250/370.01, 250/390.01, 250/391
• US Class Current: 250/395
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/00 Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation G01T3/00, G01T5/00 take precedence

Abstract

A method of operating an electronic device including determining an initial charge level at a non-volatile charge storage structure of a radiation-sensitive device including a radiation-reactive material and determining if a first radiation event has occurred based upon the non-volatile charge storage device having a different charge level than the initial charge level. The method further includes identifying the first radiation event as associated with either a first type of radiation or a second type of radiation based upon the different charge level.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:

determining an initial charge level at a non-volatile charge storage structure of a radiation-detecting device including a radiation-reactive material;

determining a first radiation event has occurred based upon the non-volatile charge storage structure having a different charge level than the initial charge level; and

identifying the first radiation event as associated with either a first type of radiation or a second type of radiation based upon the different charge level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the initial charge level includes setting the initial charge level at a non-volatile charge storage structure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein setting the initial charge level include setting the initial charge level within a defined voltage range.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein setting an initial charge level comprises:

modifying the charge level at a non-volatile storage structure; and

reading the charge level associated with the non-volatile storage structure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the initial charge level comprises:

reading a non-volatile storage structure to determine a charge level; and

storing the charge level associated with the non-volatile storage structure.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein storing comprises storing the charge level at an integrated circuit that includes the non-volatile charge storage structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the process of determining the initial charge level includes determining a first radiation event, and identifying is carried out at an integrated circuit.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting the first type of radiation and not reporting the second type of radiation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein reporting comprises:

determining if the first radiation event matches a reporting criteria, wherein the reporting criteria is different in response to the first radiation event being of a first type of radiation, than in response to the first radiation event being of a second type radiation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting comprises:

reporting the first type of radiation using a first reporting manner; and

reporting the second type of radiation using a second reporting manner different than the first reporting manner.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a threshold voltage of a transistor device corresponds to the initial charge level.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a quantification indicator based upon the different charge level.

13. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:

determining an initial charge level at a non-volatile charge storage structure of a radiation-detecting device including a radiation-reactive material;

determining a first radiation event has occurred based upon the non-volatile charge storage structure having a different charge level than the initial charge level; and

determining a quantification indicator based upon the different charge level, wherein the quantification indicator is associated with a type of radiation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the quantification indicator and the initial charge level.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a duration between determining an initial charge level and determining a first radiation event.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the quantification indicator is based on a difference between the initial charge level and the different charge level.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a quantification indicator comprises conducting multiple read operations at multiple, different read voltages.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the quantification indicator is associated with a radiation signature for identifying different types of radiation.

19. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:

setting an initial charge level within a defined voltage range at a non-volatile charge storage structure of a radiation-detecting device including a radiation-reactive material;

determining a first radiation event has occurred based upon the non-volatile charge storage structure having a different charge level than the initial charge level; and

identifying the first radiation event as associated with either a first type of radiation or a second type of radiation based upon the different charge level.