Performance analysis and yield estimation for a negative capacitance field effect transistor-based eight-transistor static random access memory

Abstract

The read/write performance and yield of a negative capacitance field effect transistor (NCFET)-based eight-transistor (8-T) static random access memory (SRAM) are quantitatively evaluated and then compared with a conventional 8-T SRAM. The performance of the 8-T SRAM cell is analyzed by read/write metrics (i.e. read static noise margin, write-ability current and read ‘zero (0)’ current). The sensitivity of the 8-T SRAM cell to the read/write metric is estimated by quantitatively evaluating the impact of systematic variation (i.e. channel width, length and threshold voltage variation). Based on variation-aware sensitivity analysis, quantitative yield estimation is done using the ‘cell sigma’ concept. Finally, the minimum power supply voltage (V DD) (which satisfies six cell sigma for yield estimation of a NCFET-based/baseline 8-T SRAM cell) is quantitatively estimated.