Semiconductors
geometry in a fab once for all its variants. Final considerations
Figure 2: A recent study showed that memory functionality of Weebit ReRAM was retained even after irradiation at 10 Mrad. The slight increase of LRS state comes from the increase of the select transistor resistance and is not related to the memory performance.
after irradiation at high doses, Weebit ReRAM was able to preserve information and be fully reprogrammed. Full details of the study are described in a whitepaper available on the Weebit website.
While the ReRAM array is very insensitive to radiation, the standard CMOS circuitry that controls it and the rest of the SoC can be impacted by it, so these CMOS circuits still need to be designed in a rad-hard way.
Using a process that is developed specifically to achieve radiation immunity performance is also a consideration.
Integrating ReRAM in such a process is inherently less complex than integrating flash, not only because it doesn’t need redundancy for protecting from radiation-induced errors, but also because it is integrated in the BEOL of the manufacturing process, unlike flash which is integrated in the front-end-of-line (FEOL).
FEOL integration typically impacts the characteristics of the transistors, so using embedded flash often forces compromises that lead to lower performance, larger die size, and higher cost. The changes in characteristics often require modifications to RF and analog IP blocks that are very sensitive to the transistors’ behaviour. FEOL technologies like flash must also be adapted separately to each variant of a given process geometry (low power, high voltage, etc.), whereas a BEOL technology like ReRAM only needs to be adapted to a
Designing for harsh environments isn’t just about radiation. NVM also needs to be selected for its ability to retain its data in other extreme environments, such as those with extremely high or low temperatures and electromagnetic interference. It must be able to retain data in these environments for applications such as those in automotive and industrial settings. The ability of ReRAM to handle these environments, together with its scalability, higher endurance and access time, high reliability, lower power consumption and operating voltage, make ReRAM a compelling alternative to flash for rad-hard devices and beyond.
■ Weebit Nano:
www.weebit-nano.com ■ Weebit irradiation whitepaper: https://www.weebit-nano. com/technical_resources/ reram-rram-white-paper-design- considerations-for-embedded-nvm-in- high-radiation-applications ■ Nino Research Group (NRG) at the University of Florida:
https://nrg.mse.ufl.edu
Today’s Applications Need a New Memory Technology
Advanced geometries, increasing memory capacities, tighter power constraints. The industry requires a faster, lower power, more reliable Non-Volatile Memory (NVM).
Weebit ReRAM: Superior performance. Easier integration.
info@weebit-nano.com
www.weebit-nano.com I +972-9-7797832
Contact us to learn more about this emerging NVM – coming soon to a chip near you.
www.cieonline.co.uk.
Components in Electronics
May 2023 41
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