Protecting Big Blue from Rogue Subatomic Particles

Author

Cannon, Ethan H. ; KleinOsowski, A.J. ; Gordon, Michael S. ; Heidel, David F. ; Hergenrother, Jack ; Muller, K. Paul ; Oldiges, Phil ; Plettner, Cristina ; Reinhardt, Daniel D. ; Rodbell, Kenneth P. ; Tang, Henry H K

Author_Institution

IBM, Essex

fYear

2007

fDate

May 30 2007-June 1 2007

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

6

Abstract

Device technology scaling continues to deliver faster and smaller transistors, contributing to IBMs continued leadership in server systems. However, there is also a dark side to device technology scaling. As transistors shrink, the amount of charge required to change the logic state of a memory or a logic circuit (i.e. flip a 1 to a 0 and vice versa) also shrinks. This complication spurs continued effort at IBM to test, characterize, and mitigate these transient bit flips, so called soft errors. In this paper we survey our ongoing work in this realm and introduce our views on trends for soft errors in future device technologies.

Keywords

logic circuits; queueing theory; radiation protection; transistors; big blue; device technology scaling; logic circuit; memory logic state; rogue subatomic particles; server systems; transistors; CMOS technology; Charge carrier processes; Circuits; Electronic packaging thermal management; Environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques; MOSFETs; Neutrons; Protection; Single event upset; Transistors; alpha particle; modeling; radiation event; single event upset; soft error;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Integrated Circuit Design and Technology, 2007. ICICDT '07. IEEE International Conference on

Conference_Location

Austin, TX

Print_ISBN

1-4244-0757-5

Electronic_ISBN

1-4244-0757-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ICICDT.2007.4299572

Filename

4299572