Factors that impact the critical charge of memory elements

In the current paper we investigate the factors that affect the critical charge (Q crit ) for a soft error in a memory cell. Also the spread of Q crit due to variations in the transistor model parameters is studied. The role of the current waveform that is applied in the simulation, the current puls...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Heijmen, T., Giot, D., Roche, P.
Format: Conference Proceeding
Language:English
Subjects:
Alpha particles
Circuit simulation
CMOS integrated circuits
Design automation
Laboratories
Microelectronics
Neutrons
Nuclear power generation
Radioactive materials
Random access memory
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Summary:In the current paper we investigate the factors that affect the critical charge (Q crit ) for a soft error in a memory cell. Also the spread of Q crit due to variations in the transistor model parameters is studied. The role of the current waveform that is applied in the simulation, the current pulse width, and the inclusion of back-end parasitics are discussed. Furthermore, we treat the impact on Q crit of supply voltage, temperature, and process variant. Also, the paper deals with the effects of parameter variations through the node capacitance and the PMOS ON-current. Finally, we show the importance of the spread in Q crit and demonstrate that detailed knowledge about the current-pulse width is necessary for accurate SER estimation
ISSN:1942-9398
1942-9401
DOI:10.1109/IOLTS.2006.35