Simulating Nuclear Events in a TCAD Model of a High-Density SEU Hardened SRAM Technology

As devices scale to smaller dimensions, the probability of events other than direct ionization by the primary ion having an impact on circuit response increases, especially with high-Z materials located proximal to sensitive regions. In this work, nuclear reactions are integrated into the modeling of the SEU response of an SRAM cell using GEANT4-based simulations. The simulated transient response is compared to that obtained using a typical heavy ion model that includes only direct ionization.