Noise immunity of a 28-nm two-phase CMOS combinational logic to transient effects of single nuclear particles

Abstract

The noise immunity of a 28-nm CMOS combinational logic (by the example of a two-phase inverter) to the effect of single nuclear particles is substantially higher if the constructive capacity between the outputs of a two-phase inverter is substantially lower than the threshold value. In this case, weakened noise enters the next two-phase element. It does not vary its logic state but transfers it into a locked state for the noise duration. The threshold value of capacity is larger for the CMOS two-phase inverters with symmetric switching characteristics upon switching both from 1 to 0 and from 0 to 1. The threshold critical characteristic makes it possible to compare the CMOS two-phase elements fulfilled according to different design rules and evaluate the gain of the two-phase logics under the effect of single particles on one of differential nodes. Critical charges of the two-phase elements substantially exceed (by a factor of at least 20 by the example of inverters) the critical charges of the CMOS traditional logic.