Low-energy proton-induced single event effect in NAND flash memories

Abstract

In this paper, the low-energy proton-induced single event effect sensitivity of multiple feature size NAND flash memories has been investigated. Under 0.41 MeV proton, the single event effect cross-section peak appeared in 25 nm and 16 nm flash devices. SRIM simulation revealed the primary reason of this phenomenon. Single event upsets caused by direct ionization of low-energy proton could be several orders of magnitude higher than those caused by high-energy proton nuclear reactions. Moreover, the influence of cumulative dose on the single event effect sensitivity of flash device was investigated. As the cumulative dose increased, the single event upset cross-section was increased considerably. This phenomenon appears due to the threshold voltage shift induced by the combination of the proton and the cumulative dose.