Pulsed-laser testing for single event effects in a stand-alone resistive random access memory

Abstract

Single Event Effects (SEE) in a stand-alone 1T1R Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) are experimentally demonstrated by using pulsed laser irradiation. No bit errors are observed in the RRAM array at an equivalent LET of more than 100 MeV.cm2/mg, indicating that the RRAM memory cells are robust against SEE. The most sensitive regions are the row decoders of the peripheral circuit, with a threshold laser energy of 2110 pJ, corresponding to an equivalent LET of approximately 70 MeV.cm2/mg. The error is attributed to a Single Event Latchup (SEL) in the decoder circuit which grows into a hard error when the equivalent LET approaches 100 MeV.cm2/mg.