Determination of Geometry and Absorption Effects and Their Impact on the Accuracy of Alpha Particle Soft Error Rate Extrapolations

The results of a physical experiment and extensive simulation runs are presented for the first time demonstrating the significant effects of geometry and air absorption on accelerated alpha particle soft error rate tests. These results show that geometry and absorption must be properly accounted for even when the source is in close proximity to the device to avoid substantial underestimation of product soft failure rates in the terrestrial environment.