Single event transient on combinational logic: An introduction and their mitigation

Abstract

Single event transients pose a major threat to the reliability of modern VLSI designs. Improving the robustness of combinational logic is challenging due to its complexity, masking effects, and signal dependence. This paper presents the mechanisms and concepts of SET generation, modeling, masking, and propagation in combinational logic. It also discusses design parameters and their impact on circuit robustness. An overview of automated design strategies for radiation hardening by design and their advantages and disadvantages is provided, covering gate sizing, gate duplication, gate remapping, load increase, layout spacing, and charge sharing techniques.