Single Event Susceptibility Analysis in CBRAM Resistive Memory Arrays

Ion-strike-induced single event transients in a type of nonvolatile resistive memory known as conductive bridge resistive memory (CBRAM) are investigated. Experimental data demonstrating bit upsets in 1T-1R devices under heavy ion strike are presented which show evidence of transitions from not only high to low resistance states but also from low to high resistance states. This is reported for such devices here for the first time. Device and circuit level simulations performed under various bias conditions are used to analyze possible upset modes. A crossbar CBRAM architecture without transistor selectors that offers higher density is also analyzed and shown to be susceptible to multiple bit upsets unlike 1T-1R array. Susceptibility of a 256 ×256 crossbar array to strike induced transients under two different bias schemes is simulated.