Deep Submicron Radiation Hardened Logic for Communications

Ridgetop Group, Inc. is proposing a Phase I Feasibility and Merit study as follows: 1. Conduct a Feasibility study on whether Heterojunction BiPolar Junction Transistor-based (HBT-based) structures can be designed for use as follows: (1) HBT-based Die Level Process Monitor (DLPM) structure to characterize the effect of process variations on base-emitter voltage (VBE); (2) HBT-based Radiation Effect Prognostic Monitor (RadEPM) to characterize the effect of Total Ionization Dose (TID) radiation on VBE, and (3) HBT-based Band-Gap Reference (BGR) to characterize the effect of process variations and TID radiation on a reference voltage. 2. Design and simulate the proposed HBT-based circuits for the IBM trusted foundry 65-nm Bipolar Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (BiCMOS) Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) process. 3. Create schematics and perform PSPICE simulations.  4. Apply suitable Radiation-Hardened by Design (RHBD) methods and techniques to each of the three HBT-based circuits to produce a dual set of proposed structures: one non-Rad-Hard, the other RHBD.  5. Show the Merit of the above solutions with respect to the development of radiation hardened (Rad-Hard) deep submicron logic.  6. Make a recommendation as which, if any, existing 65-nm CMOS silicon design should be realized as 65-nm BiCMOS SiGe circuits in a Phase II period for this topic. BENEFIT: The research is on the use of 65-nm HBT circuit structures as monitors to provide information on the effects of process variations and radiation on critical device and circuit parameters. The information is used to characterize those changes so design engineers can better center their designs.  Well-centered designs increase yield and reliability, both of which are of concern in deep submicron radiation-hardened designs for communications.