Utilizing the Threshold Voltage Hysteresis of a Cerium Manganese Non-Linear Dielectric to Achieve a Radiation Hardened 16M SRAM

"A new non-linear dielectric (CMd) was recently discovered and deposited via MOCVD by Structured Materials, Inc. (www.structuredmaterials.com). The CM thin film properties potentially make it an excellent choice for commercial and radiation hardenedelectronics. Specifically, in radiation environments the CM can be implemented in a radiation hardened (total dose, SEE, and prompt dose) static random access memory (SRAM). Existing results indicate that the SMI process and film may be used to replace thetwo n-channel and two p-channel transistors in a 4-T SRAM latch cell with two n-channel and two p-channel non-linear dielectric field effect transistors (NLDFETs). The increased capacitance of the NLDFETs combined with design hardening techniques shouldachieve a minimum of 300krad(Si) of total dose radiation hardness, 1E9rad(Si)/s and 1E11rad(Si)/s of operation through and prompt dose latch-up immunity, respectively and >100MeV-cm2/mg of single event latch-up (SEL) immunity. The threshold voltagehysteresis effect of the NLDFET should achieve Single Event Upset (SEU) immunity to at least 80MeV-cm2/mg, while utilizing a standard 6-transistor SRAM cell structure. This proposed Phase I effort will demonstrate a CM NLDFET SRAM proof of concept celland in Phase II build the prototype device, which in Phase III be commercialized with our collaboration partners in military and commercial products. The NLDFET SRAM STRUCTURE DESCRIBED IN THIS P