Abstract: A bipolar device hardened against single event upset includes a voltage source, a substrate, and a surface contact. The substrate includes a first collector region, a first base region and a first emitter region. The first collector region has a first collector voltage and a first voltage threshold. The first voltage threshold is the voltage at which a bipolar device connected to the first collector or first emitter becomes upset. When the first collector voltage drops below the first voltage threshold, the attached bipolar device becomes upset. The first base region is adjacent to the first collector region and the first emitter region is adjacent to the first base region. The surface contact is disposed on the substrate and is coupled to a voltage bias generated by the voltage source. The voltage bias is greater then the first voltage threshold so that the first collector voltage is prevented from dropping below the first voltage threshold due to energetic particle induced charge.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate such as indium phosphide having a trap density which increases with increasing distance from a top surface of the substrate, so that the electrical conductivity of the substrate increases with increasing distance from the top surface. An active device structure is built on the substrate and is disposed adjacent to the top surface of the substrate. A biasing structure has a buried electrode disposed below the top surface of the substrate a distance of from about 0.1 to about 2 micrometers, and an electrical contact at a surface of the substrate and in electrical communication with the buried electrode. A biasing source applies a biasing voltage of from about 0.2 volts to about 5 volts to the electrical contact. The biased subsurface contact protects the active device structure from current induced in the substrate by energetic particles and other radiation.

Abstract: A power generator includes a current-generating cell having a layer of a fission source of heavy ions and alpha particles, and two semiconductor structures, one on each side of the layer of the fission source. The layer of the fission source is preferably Pu238 or Cf252. The semiconductor structure is preferably a silicon structure such as a silicon P-I-N diode. The cell includes two metal contact layers, each contacting a respective one of the semiconductor structures at a location remote from the layer of the fission source. A voltage source, such as a thermopile operating with heat produced from the current-generating cell, is in electrical communication with the two metal contact layers to apply a collection voltage across the current-generating cell. Two current collector leads are provided, with each current collector lead being in electrical communication with a respective one of the two metal contact layers.