Soft-Error-Resilient Static Random Access Memory with Enhanced Write Ability for Radiation Environments.

Area of Science:

• Spacecraft electronics
• Semiconductor device physics
• Radiation effects in electronics

Background:

• Advanced semiconductor technologies increase SRAM sensitivity to radiation-induced soft errors in space.
• Conventional 6T SRAM is vulnerable to single-event upsets (SEUs) and single-event multi-node upsets (SEMNUs) due to particle strikes and charge sharing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel radiation-hardened SRAM design, SHWA18T, specifically for space applications.
• To evaluate the performance and robustness of SHWA18T against existing SRAM architectures.

Main Methods:

• The SHWA18T SRAM design was simulated using 90 nm CMOS technology at a 1 V supply.
• Performance metrics including critical charge and write capability were analyzed.
• The design was compared against IASE16T, PRO14T, PRO16T, QCCS, SIRI, and SEA14T architectures.

Main Results:

• SHWA18T demonstrated superior performance, particularly in critical charge and write capability.
• The proposed design exhibits enhanced robustness against both SEUs and SEMNUs.
• Simulation analysis confirmed the improved reliability of SHWA18T compared to other evaluated designs.

Conclusions:

• The SHWA18T SRAM design offers a robust solution for mitigating radiation-induced soft errors in space systems.
• This enhanced SRAM architecture ensures stable data retention in harsh space environments.
• SHWA18T represents a significant advancement in radiation-hardened memory for space applications.