Soft Error Considerations for Multicore Microprocessor Design

Abstract

Advanced integrated circuits with reduced operating voltages and higher transistor densities exhibit increased sensitivity to radiation effects. This sensitivity is not confined to just memory but can affect all logic elements of the circuit. As such, radiation-induced soft errors are becoming a dominant reliability-failure mechanism in modern CMOS technologies. With the recent trend towards multicore microprocessors, designers must now consider how those multicore designs will perform taking into account the effects of soft errors. This paper discusses the relationships among process technology, architecture, communication, operating system, and applications when designing a multicore microprocessor. Several key design considerations are presented which exemplify the linkages among those design elements in multicore microprocessors.