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Volume 40, Number 1, 1996
Terrestrial cosmic rays and soft errors |
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Table of contents:  HTML |
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Copyright info |
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Modeling the cosmic-ray-induced soft-error rate in integrated circuits: An overview |
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by G. R. Srinivasan |
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This paper is an overview of the concepts and methodologies used to
predict soft-error rates (SER) due to cosmic and high-energy particle
radiation in integrated circuit chips. The paper emphasizes the need for
the SER simulation using the actual chip circuit model which includes
device, process, and technology parameters as opposed to using either the
discrete device simulation or generic circuit simulation that is commonly
employed in SER modeling. Concepts such as funneling, event-by-event
simulation, nuclear history files, critical charge, and charge sharing
are examined. Also discussed are the relative importance of elastic and
inelastic nuclear collisions, rare event statistics, and device vs.
circuit simulations. The semi-empirical methodologies used in the
aerospace community to arrive at SERs [also referred to as single-event
upset (SEU) rates] in integrated circuit chips are reviewed. This paper
is one of four in this special issue relating to SER modeling. Together,
they provide a comprehensive account of this modeling effort, which has
resulted in a unique modeling tool called the Soft-Error
Monte Carlo Model, or SEMM.
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