Non-volatile FPGAs based on spintronic devices

Abstract

This paper presents an innovative architecture for radiation-hardened FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). This architecture is based on the use of MTJs (Magnetic Tunnel Junctions), magnetic nanostructures used as basic elements of MRAM (Magnetic Random Access Memory). These devices are totally immune to radiations and can be used as a reference memory to perform “scrubbing” techniques, which consist in regularly reloading the configuration of the FPGA to fix the radiation induced errors that may have occured. This approach allows hardening the circuits at low cost in terms of area, while reducing the standby power consumption and offering new functionalities, like dynamic reconfiguration. A silicon demonstrator was implemented, including a 2-inputs LUT (Look Up Table) and tested using a digital tester, giving encouraging results.