Random-Walk Drift-Diffusion Charge-Collection Model For Reverse-Biased Junctions Embedded in Circuits

A new computational model for charge transport based on parallelized random-walk drift-diffusion is proposed. This approach models the radiation-induced charge carriers as charge packets in a 3-D structure and the transport modeling are based on simple physical equations without any fitting parameter. This model has been dynamically coupled with a SPICE circuit simulator to take into account temporal variations of the electric fields in the charge collection process. Thus, the circuit electrical response modulates the charge collection efficiency. Three simulation cases have been explored and compared with TCAD simulations or radiation experiments in 65 nm technology to validate the accuracy of the proposed approach. These simulations demonstrate the capability of the proposed model to accurately estimate the soft error rate of complex structures, such as flip-flops over a large range of ionizing particle linear energy transfer. The proposed simulation methodology is also able to take into account charge-sharing phenomenon, and this point is highlighted by a specific investigation on the considered flip-flop.