Low Cost Radiation Hardened Flash Memory Integrated Circuit

There is a strong demand for radiation hardened Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) for all digital control based space applications. There are limited options available to designers today, consisting of up-screened commercial memories and devices with constrained radiation performance specifications.VORAGO Technologies propose to harden an existing proven (but not yet radiation-hardened) SONOS Flash memory technology that is available from SkyWaterCMOS wafer fab. Our confidence in success is based on the fact that we have successfully hardened SRAM memories and other similar CMOS devices using the same HARDSIL® technologythat we will apply to the SkyWater Flash memory. A successful outcome to this project will result in a radiation-hardened flash memory IC that can be qualified for space flight and ultimately a portfolio of rad-hard flash memory products that can be used in many applications where programmable non-volatile storage is required. The SkyWater flash memory IP has been in production for many years on a commercial (non rad-hard) flow and has shipped billions of units through that particular SkyWater fab. It is very robust technology. One of the main benfits of this proposal is that we can piggyback upon this high volume flow with a simple modification to facilitate the radiation hardening.