Phonon production and Nonequilibrium Transport from ion strikes

Traditionally, prediction of the failure of microelectronic devices due to heavy ion strikes has involved an equilibrium charge production model and subsequent device simulation. However, this approximation has become inadequate for highly scaled devices both in terms of ionizing and nonionizing models. The present work considers nonequilibrium thermal generation and transport resulting from ion strikes, which augments existing models to account for localized heating effects. Using an linear energy transfer model for phonon generation and a Monte Carlo approach to solve for the transport, the nonequilibrium thermal energy distribution is calculated. The resulting energy distribution is correlated to damage cascades, amorphous areas surrounding strike paths and melt regions. Further, the resulting temperature rises can be coupled to device simulations for devices experiencing ion strikes.