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Capability of DICE Circuit to Withstand Ionizing Radiations

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Abstract

Memory devices continue to be an irreplaceable part of most semiconductor circuits. This is expected to continue to rise in the coming years. Thus, there is a need to incorporate radiation hardness in all memory elements. There are numerous techniques to make a circuit immune to radiations at processing level, circuit level or design level. One of the most accepted methods of achieving resilience to radiations at design level is DICE (Dual Interlocked Storage Cell). The efficiency and range of operation of DICE structure can be improved through various factors. Sizing of transistors as well as pulse width and amplitude of striking pulse of radiation are key parameters in determining successful circuit operation. Effect of varying these parameters on the circuit operation is studied with the help of simulation results. The self restoring logic in the design has a certain threshold after which the circuit is unable to regain its original value.

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This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Both the authors contributed to the study of this topic. The corresponding author is Neha Pannu and she prepared the first draft of the manuscript. Both of the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Neha Pannu.

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Pannu, N., Prakash, N.R. Capability of DICE Circuit to Withstand Ionizing Radiations. Wireless Pers Commun 121, 2779–2787 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11277-021-08848-8

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