High performance radiation hardened static random access memory (SRAM) design for space applications

Abstract

Static random access memory (SRAM) product for advanced space applications must demonstrate high performance to meet the ever increasing data rates of space systems and must be radiation hardened to ensure unfettered, reliable operation in the harsh environments of outer space. High performance and radiation hardness are not mutually exclusive. The challenge confronting present day SRAM development is to concurrently achieve both of these objectives. An SRAM design evaluation methodology is described that uncovers limitations on performance, facilitating the identification of both the limiting mechanisms and the corrective design enhancements. Simulation model to hardware measurement correlation on two designs of radiation tolerant 4 M SRAM product validates the evaluation methodology. The evaluation methodology described herein can be Universally applied to any SRAM design to ensure that the highest performance potential of the design is realized.