Reliable, High-Performance, and Nonvolatile Hybrid SRAM/MRAM-Based Structures for Reconfigurable Nanoscale Logic Devices

Programmable logic devices (PLDs) based on static random access memory (SRAM) are being used widely in digital design thanks to their infinite configurability and high performance. However, as they are volatile, they will miss their configuration when powered OFF. Moreover, their configuration is vulnerable to be affected by radiation-induced soft errors. Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) hybrid with CMOS transistor enjoys the advantages of nonvolatility, low static power consumption, and high integration compatibility with CMOS. This article proposes two nonvolatile, high performance, and reliable structures for PLDs. To obtain a nonvolatile and reliable configuration, new radiation hardened and high-performance MTJ-based interconnection switch and look-up table circuits are proposed as the configuration memories of the suggested structures. In the first proposed structure, flip-flops and user memory blocks have remained SRAM-based similar to the conventional SRAM-based PLDs employing new radiation tolerant and high-performance SRAM-based logic circuits. In the second, all user memories are based on new high performance spin Hall effect (SHE) assisted MTJ memories to obtain nonvolatility in even user memories. Therefore, the first proposed structure offers a reliable and high-performance operation and the second presents a reliable, fully nonvolatile, and low-power operation in run-time. Simulation results confirm the superiorities offered by our proposed PLD structures including high-performance operation, radiation hardening, and nonvolatility.