SINGLE EVENT UPSETS IN GALLIUM-ARSENIDE PSEUDO-COMPLEMENTARY MESFET LOGIC

An introduction to gallium arsenide (GaAs) Pseudo-Complementary MESFET Logic (PCML) circuits is presented. PCML was developed to reduce the sensitivity of high-speed GaAs logic to radiation-induced single event upsets (SEUs). Experiments for testing the single-event upset (SEU) s ensitivity of GaAs PCML integrated circuits (ICs) are described. The r esults of the experiments are analyzed. This new type of high-speed, l ow-power, GaAs logic provides decreased sensitivity to SEUs compared t o more traditional circuit designs such as Directly-Coupled FET Logic (DCFL). PCML is fully compatible with existing GaAs E/D MESFET fabrica tion processes, such as those commonly used to make DCFL.