Abstract:

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) with anti-fuse elements are preferred in aerospace applications due to their non-volatility and demonstrated radiation hardness. Because aerospace applications typically involve long operating life, there is a requirement to store un-programmed anti-fuse FPGA parts for long periods and program them when necessary to support the system. No study on the long term reliability of un-programmed anti-fuse FPGAs in the storage environment is reported in literature. In this paper, anti-fuse structures, programming process, and failure mechanisms of anti-fuse FPGAs are discussed. A failure modes, mechanisms and effects (FMMEA) analysis was performed for storage conditions and critical failure mechanisms were identified. High temperature storage tests of a select number of anti-fuse FPGAs were performed to accelerate the identified failure mechanisms. These parts were subsequently programmed and yield data was analysed to determine the effects of high temperature storage

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