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From: wolit@alice.UUCP (Jan Wolitzky)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Memory Error Alpha Source
Message-ID: <3181@alice.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Dec-84 16:43:53 EST
Article-I.D.: alice.3181
Posted: Mon Dec 17 16:43:53 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Dec-84 02:33:16 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 16

A recent article in a usually reputable journal identified the source
of the alpha particles responsible for "soft" errors in semiconductor
memories as being the PLASTIC package encasing these chips.

I always thought that this problem was limited to (or at least much
more serious in) CERAMIC-packaged memories, owing to the presence of
radioactive impurities in the earthen materials used to make the
ceramic, and that the purer hydrocarbons that make up plastic packages
were not much of an alpha source (in fact, they act as an alpha
shield).

Could some semiconductor packaging expert shed some light on this?
Can anyone cite some original source material on this subject?

-- 
Jan Wolitzky, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ; (201) 582-2998