Radiation detecting device and method of operating

• US 8,299,439 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Batam PT (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Spansion LLC (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: McCarthy, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bryant, Casey
• Application Number:
  US12/468,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20100294946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.05, 250/392, 257/252, 257/634
• US Class Current: 250/370.05
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/792 with charge trapping gate insulator, e.g. MNOS-memory transistors

Abstract

A method of operating a radiation-detecting device includes charging a first charge storage region of a charge storage structure to place a first charge value at the first charge storage region, and charging a second charge storage region of the charge storage structure to place a second charge value at the second charge storage region. The method further includes conducting a first read operation to determine a change in the first charge value at the first charge storage region at a first time after charging the first charge storage region, and determining a first radiation flux value for an environment containing the charge storage structure based on the change in the first charge value at the first time.

Claims

1. A method of operating a radiation-detecting device comprising:

charging a first charge storage region of a charge storage structure to place a first charge value at the first charge storage region;

charging a second charge storage region of the charge storage structure to place a second charge value at the second charge storage region;

determining, at a first time, a third charge value at the first charge storage region by determining an amount of current generated by the charge storage structure responsive to a applying a predetermined voltage to the first charge storage structure;

determining a first received amount of radiation based upon the first charge value and the third charge storage value; and

determining a first radiation flux value for an environment containing the charge storage structure based on the first received amount of radiation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting the first radiation flux.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein charging the first charge storage region is conducted at a second time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising charging, at a third time after determining the first received amount, the first charge storage region to place a fourth charge value at the first charge region.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising conducting a third read operation to determine a change in the third charge value at the first charge storage region.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a second radiation flux value for the environment based on the change in the third charge value at the first charge storage region.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the second radiation flux value is conducted at a fourth time.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

comparing the first radiation flux value to a threshold radiation flux value; and

identifying a radiation flux value indicator based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a fourth charge value at the second charge storage region, at a second time after charging the second charge storage region, and determining a second received amount of radiation based on the fourth charge value and the second charge value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second time is different than the first time.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a second radiation flux value for the environment based on the second received amount of radiation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

comparing the first radiation flux value to the second radiation flux value; and

identifying a radiation flux value indicator based on the comparison.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

comparing the radiation flux value indicator to a threshold radiation flux value; and

generating an alert signal wherein the radiation flux value indicator exceeds the threshold radiation flux value.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the third charge value comprises the use of a series of reads, each read of the series using a different read voltage.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a third time based on the first received amount of charge; and

determining, at the third time, a third charge value at the first charge storage region.

16. A method of operating a radiation-detecting device comprising:

charging a first charge storage region of a charge storage structure to place a first charge value at the first charge storage region;

charging a second charge storage region of the charge storage structure to place a second char value the second charge story region

determining, at a first time, a third charge value at the first charge storage region by determining an amount of current generated by the charge storage structure responsive to applying a predetermined voltage to the first charge storage structure;

determining a first received amount of radiation based upon the first charge value and the third charge storage value;

determining a first radiation flux value for an environment containing the charge storage structure based on the first received amount of radiation;

determining a fourth charge value based upon the first received amount of charge, the fourth charge value different than the first charge value;

charging the first charge storage region to the fourth charge value;

determining, at a second time, a fifth charge value at the first charge storage region; and

determining a second received amount of radiation based upon the fourth charge value and the fourth charge storage value.

17. A method of operating radiation-detecting device comprising:

charging a first charge storage region of a charge storage structure to place a first charge value at the first charge storage region, the first charge storage structure has a first thickness;

charging a second charge storage region of the charge storage structure to place a second charge value at the second charge storage region;

determining, at a first time, a third charge value at the first charge storage region by determining an amount of current generated by the charge storage structure responsive to applying a predetermined voltage to the first charge storage structure;

determining a first received amount of radiation based upon the first charge value and the third charge storage value; and

determining a first radiation flux value for an environment containing the charge storage structure based on the first received amount of radiation;

charging a third charge storage region of a charge storage structure having a second thickness, different than the first thickness; and

determining a second received amount of radiation at the third charge storage region.