1 Gb Radiation Hardened Nonvolatile Memory Development

The objective of this effort is to identify, characterize and develop advanced semiconductor materials and fabrication process techniques, and design and produce a Gigabit (GB)-scale high density, radiation hardened (RH), SONOS-based nonvolatile memory (NVM) in a standard, high density CMOS technology with feature sizes approaching the 90nm technology node. Highly reliable, RH SWAP-efficient, high-density NVM provides for the deployment of more capable, flexible and responsive hardware designs leading to improved mission performance and enhanced data storage capability with less system operational complexity and reduced system vulnerability to natural and weapons generated radiation environments. By leveraging state-of-the-art (SOA) commercial NVM technologies and implementing a combination of these elements with the proper memory cell architecture, radiation hardened device design, and advanced fabrication processes, we are confident we can produce a 1Gb RH NVM using currently available CMOS process modules at or below the 90 nm fabrication technology node. The unique materials and process technologies to be investigated in our approach include composite high-k dielectric thin-film oxide materials, shallow trench isolation, atomic layer deposition, p-channel silicon-insulator-nitride-oxide-silicon (SINOS) NVM architecture, and RH CMOS peripheral circuitry.

Using fewer memory devices to achieve greater memory storage capacity reduces overall system size, weight, and power (SWAP) requirements while improving system cost effectiveness. Highly reliable, radiation hardened SWAP-efficient, high-density NVM provides for the deployment of more capable, flexible and responsive hardware designs leading to improved mission performance and enhanced data storage capability with less system operational complexity and reduced system vulnerability to natural and weapons generated radiation environments. Non-volatile storage of critical data is essential to mission success. Any system operating in either a natural space or a nuclear weapons system radiation environment needs non-volatile memory for program and mission critical data storage. Radiation hardened NVM devices ensure mission critical data remains uncorrupted as a result of a system power failure or radiation exposure, and allows proper system boot-up and configuration as necessary. Potential non-NASA applications for this device include navigation, communication, command and control, and data acquisition and storage for missile defense interceptor systems, defense and commercial satellites, and other military and space flight systems requiring survivability in natural and weapons generated radiation environments.

Using fewer memory devices to achieve greater memory storage capacity reduces overall system size, weight, and power (SWAP) requirements while improving system cost effectiveness. Highly reliable, radiation hardened SWAP-efficient, high-density NVM provides for the deployment of more capable, flexible and responsive hardware designs leading to improved mission performance and enhanced data storage capability with less system operational complexity and reduced system vulnerability to natural and weapons generated radiation environments. Non-volatile storage of critical data is essential to mission success. Any system operating in either a natural space or a nuclear weapons system radiation environment needs non-volatile memory for program and mission critical data storage. Radiation hardened NVM devices ensure mission critical data remains uncorrupted as a result of a system power failure or radiation exposure, and allows proper system boot-up and configuration as necessary. Potential NASA applications for this device include navigation, communication, command and control, and data acquisition and storage for launch vehicles, payloads, satellites, and any other space flight systems requiring survivability in natural space radiation environments.

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