Soft Error Rate Prediction for Integrated Circuit Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining the soft error rate (SER) in integrated circuit devices are inefficient and lack accuracy, requiring extensive simulations and not effectively addressing the impact of energetic particles on logic states.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that calculates the predicted SER based on the design of the integrated circuit device, considering the sensitivity levels of different regions and the energy spectrum of particles, reducing the need for extensive simulations and enhancing accuracy by using a design analysis system with modules for SER analysis, energy spectrum, and particle flux files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If extensive simulations are used to determine SER, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores charge deposition data from particle strikes in lookup tables during the design phase. These pre-computed results are then rapidly retrieved during SER analysis without requiring extensive simulations at the analysis stage, thus achieving accurate SER determination with minimal time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified models and lookup tables that replicate the complex simulation results in a condensed format. Instead of running full simulations each time, the system uses these copied representations to quickly determine SER, maintaining accuracy while dramatically reducing computation time.
2Reliability
If design refinement is performed to meet target SER thresholds, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent identifies and analyzes specific sensitive regions within the integrated circuit device separately. By focusing charge deposition analysis on only the critical sensitive regions rather than the entire device, the method achieves accurate SER prediction without requiring complex full-device modeling, thus improving reliability assessment while managing design complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining a predicted soft error rate (SER) for an integrated circuit device design includes calculating the SER based on a predicted amount of charge imparted by a one or more particles to the integrated circuit device based on the design. The SER is further based on a predicted sensitivity level of a region of the integrated circuit device to the charge imparted by the one or more particles, and can also be based on the energy spectrum of the particles.