What happens to the IC at -20 degrees Celsius?

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What happens to the IC at -20 degrees Celsius?

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clintongallaghe
Contributor II

I've observed most chips specify -20C (-4F) as the "cold" end of their operating range. So what exactly happens at that threshold or below?

Does the chip go inert like lithium batteries returning to functionality retaining its data after warming back up again? Does the chip lose its data when it gets too cold? Is chip and data retention reliability on a curve in this context? deploy outdoors

I need to deploy tags outdoors; several use cases one of which is surface mounted to the glass window or door of a storefront and the other use case will deploy tags embedded in cast resin attached to objects outdoors, notably in Wisconsin, USA.

6 Replies

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rfidtag
Contributor II

Hello Clinton,

Thanks for your feedback.

To your questions:

1) ..please explain more. 100 cycles...

I mean  temperature cycles . According to our tests (5years ago) the chip withstand 100cycles/220degC 60minutes. The chip stopped work when a surface the temperature was over 90degC and started work again when the temperature was under 87degC. The similar situation was when  we was colling the chip and it stopped work when the temperature was -40degC and started work on -37degC

2) ...Do you means the electronic ..

I mean the temperature degradation of the package(enclosure) of  the chip . There are increasing  numbers of the temperature cycles and increasing  degradation of the material which cause that the package of the chip is more and more frigale.

3)....What did you use to go cold to -40°C....

For colling we have used  NZKP 18/80 (VK) –Frigera, we have tested the chip up to -85°C

I wrote also an article about UHF RFID heat resistant tags. Please drop me  your e-mail to rfidtag (at) yahoo.co. uk and I am able to send the link to the article,

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clintongallaghe
Contributor II

Thank you Libor you made my day helping explain that in extreme temperatures the chip stops working. Why am I glad to hear the chip stops working? Because you helped me learn the answer to the most important question for me: what happens when the ambient temperature returns to within the specified range that allows the chip to function.

You explain the chip functionality __returns__ once the ambient temperature is within spec. Very good news. However, does the chip retain its data?

I __need__ very much to deploy outdoors on the façade of buildings for example. I live in Wisconsin, USA and the temperature in the Winter can drop below -32°C 0°F but very rarely and with wind chill the chip could become even colder. What matters is the retention of the data written to the chip. Its just going to be a URL. That's what those of us who live in cold climates need to learn and I appreciate your offer to read your findings and will be sending an email to you. Let us also keep discussion in the Forum so other people can learn from your sage advice.

Clinton

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rfidtag
Contributor II

Hi Clinton,

I can confirm base of our test up to -40°C that chips do not lost data . It should depend also on type of  a chip . The similar situation was opposite a temperature test +200°C.

What is important know that due to extreme temperature is  started temperature degradation of material and the endurance is limited. For en example after 100cycles is a chip frigale and small bump and ....goodbye

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clintongallaghe
Contributor II

Hello Libor and thank you for your comments. I did some tests too using a residential food freezer which is not so accurate. What did you use to go cold to -40°C? I use NXP Forum Type 2 NTAG203 or NTAG216. I'm also going to try to 'freeze' a tag by spraying it with liquid nitrogen but I really do not have the means to measure that temperature and will only test if the chip retains data after.


But do tell, please explain more. 100 cycles means read or write cycles. Are you saying when the chip is exposed to extreme temperature and happens to be read ~100 times while in the extreme operating range it will start to weaken and lose its endurance? Do you means the electronic charge that the metallic properties retain? I think I understand the physics. The metallic properties become inert in the cold because their electrons 'get lazy and go to sleep."

I think of electrons as being like teenagers. When they wake up after being asleep it takes them forever to get back to work again and sometimes if they are bumped they do not go back to work at all. Is this what you are saying? What is a 'bump?'

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jimmychan
NXP TechSupport
NXP TechSupport

I think the chip is only guarantee to work properly and meet the spec. in datasheet when working within the operating range.

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clintongallaghe
Contributor II

Yes, I must agree the chip is only guaranteed to work properly within the extents of its specification. That is how it is engineered and designed to work. This is not the question.

The question is what happens to the data on the chip if it gets too cold and stops working properly? Is the data destroyed and gone forever or is the data retained so when the temperature of the chip returns to specified operating range will the data be available?

Can a chip that has been exposed to cold temperatures which exceed its operating range be encoded again once the chip temperature returns to normal?

I must find out the real facts.

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