Monte Carlo simulation for predicting neutron-induced single-event upset in ferroelectric random access memory

Abstract The influence of the single event effects (SEE) induced by neutron up to 14 MeV on ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) is simulated by the Monte Carlo method. Simulation results show that single-event upset (SEU) occurs in FRAM when the neutron energy is greater than 6 MeV, and the average energy deposition of neutrons in the sensitive volume increases with increasing neutron energy. Neutron SEU in FRAM occurs when the energy deposition of a single secondary particles generated by a nuclear reaction in the sensitive region exceeds the critical energy. The neutron SEU cross-section of FRAM increases exponentially with increasing energy in the range of 6–14 MeV, and the SEU cross-section is about 1.39 × 10−14 cm2 at 14 MeV. These findings are due to concomitant increases in the variety and numbers of secondary particles whose energy deposition in the sensitive region exceeds the critical energy.