Technological Trends of Soft Error Estimation Based on Accurate Estimation Method

Soft errors have become a serious problem in very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI) circuits. Although the accurate estimations of neutron- and α-induced soft error rates (SERs) are essential, the magnitude relationship between neutron- and α-induced SERs has long been unclear. Recently, a sensitive dosimetry vacuum alpha ray tracking method has been developed and it has enabled us to eliminate the uncertainty of the rate of α-particle emission from materials. In this study, technology trends of SERs in static random access memory (SRAM) and latch circuits are investigated by neutron- and α-accelerated tests and SER simulations. The magnitude relationship between neutron- and α-induced SERs is clearly discussed on the basis of newly obtained α-dose rates.