URDT16T: An Ultrafast Read and Double Node Upset Tolerant SRAM for Space Applications
Abstract
As CMOS technology continuously advances and integration density steadily increases, the susceptibility of Static random-access memory (SRAM) cells to charge-sharing-induced Double-Node Upsets (DNUs) triggered by aerospace particles is significantly exacerbated. To address the formidable challenge of balancing radiation hardness and high-speed performance, this paper proposes URDT16T, a 16-transistor Radiation-Hardening by Design (RHBD) SRAM cell with high reliability, featuring a fully symmetric node-isolation topology. By effectively restricting the number of sensitive nodes and optimizing low-impedance discharge paths, the proposed design achieves 100% Single-Node Upset (SNU) recovery and 83% DNU tolerance, with a critical charge (Qc) exceeding 120 fC. Performance benchmarking reveals that URDT16T achieves an ultrafast Read Access Time (RAT) of 20.92 ps, representing an average reduction of 48.68% compared to nine state-of-the-art RHBD cells. Furthermore, the cell exhibits superior stability with a Hold Static Noise Margin (HSNM) of 442 mV, achieving the highest comprehensive Electrical Quality Metric (EQM) among compared designs. Robust operation is verified across extensive process-voltage-temperature (PVT) variations, demonstrating its steady performance in extreme environments and positioning URDT16T as a highly competitive solution for reliability-critical aerospace applications.