Application of charge-coupled devices to multiple-bit-upset analysis in radiation environments

High-resolution images of neutron-induced transient upsets in charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are analysed as an analogue of single-event upsets (SEEs) in memory devices. In particular, we investigate the relationship between the mean and variance of the event size distribution in the CCD images. Over the range of upset thresholds of practical interest a consistent form for this relationship is observed across different CCD types and resolutions and is found to be similar for SEE-inducing neutron beams with different energy spectra. This information is applied to a technique for inferring the statistics of multiple bit upsets (MBUs) from data sets derived from accelerated testing of memory devices. The technique is used successfully to infer the statistics of MBUs in a synchronous DRAM, without recourse to a physical bit map.