FinFET and Nanowire SRAM Radiation Hardness Studies using Ab initio-TCAD Simulation Framework

TL;DR

This study uses advanced simulation tools to evaluate and compare the radiation hardness of 5nm FinFET and nanowire SRAMs, revealing nanowires are more robust and suggesting design optimizations for immunity to alpha particles.

Contribution

It introduces an ab initio-TCAD simulation framework to analyze radiation effects on advanced SRAM technologies, highlighting nanowire advantages and potential design improvements.

Findings

Nanowire SRAM is 2-3 times more robust than FinFET SRAM.

Simulation predicts the possibility of designing alpha-particle immune SRAM.

Design optimization can enhance radiation hardness of SRAMs.

Abstract

In this paper, we study the vulnerability of 5nm node FinFET and nanowire (20nm gate length) and their corresponding SRAM under radiation. Ab initio tools, SRIM, PHITS, and GEANT4, are used to find the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of neutron and alpha particles in Silicon and Silicon-Germanium. Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) is then used to find the most vulnerable incident location and direction in FinFET, nanowire, and their SRAM. Full 3D TCAD simulation, which allows the study of layout effect in SRAM, is used. It is found that NW is about 2-3 times more robust than FinFET in terms of flipping energy. Based on the simulation in the ab initio-TCAD framework, it is projected that there is a possibility to design an SRAM using NW that is immune to alpha-particle. It is also expected that SRAM can be optimized for more robust radiation hardness if Design Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO) is taken into consideration.