The RadFxSat-2 Mission to Measure SEU Rates in FinFET Microelectronics

The RadFxSat-2 mission was launched January 17, 2021 with Virgin Orbit\u27s LauncherOne under the NASA ELaNa-20 initiative. RadFxSat-2 carries a radiation effects payload designed to investigate single event upsets (SEUs) in sub-65 nm commercial memories, including a FinFET-based memory. Sub-65 nm technologies have demonstrated enhanced sensitivity to low-energy protons, but current models have not considered low-energy protons as a source of SEUs. Missions utilizing the latest commercial technologies could experience a higher error rate than predicted. RadFxSat-2 was designed to assess SEU rates for FinFET SRAMs operated in low-Earth orbit (LEO), a proton-heavy environment. Details of the mission and data collected over the previous two years are presented. Results from RadFxSat-2 suggest that FinFET-based microelectronic technologies are suitable for high-performance, high-density storage in LEO

The RadFxSat Mission to Study Radiation Effects on Advanced Nanoelectronics

The RadFxSat mission was launched on November 18, 2017 with the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1) under the NASA ELaNa XIV initiative. RadFxSat, now designated at AO-91, is an AMSAT Fox bus carrying a Vanderbilt University radiation effects payload. Embedded in the sub-audible range of voice transmissions are the telemetry conveying the status of the spacecraft and payload. Since launch, hundreds of amateur radio operators have submitted thousands of telemetry packets. These data can be retrieved using AMSAT’s FoxTelem software and are being used by researchers to measure the effects of ionizing radiation on modern commercial electronics