RadiSPICE-L: A Layout-Centric Tool for Radiation-Aware Analog Circuit Design

Abstract

Radiation effects pose a significant challenge in electronic circuits, impacting both reliability and performance. Prior simulation studies and tool developments have provided valuable insights into radiation effects at the circuit level, but further study requires including substrate effects. This paper proposes "RadiSPICE-L", a layout-aware simulation tool developed in the Cadence environment using the SKILL language. The tool employs a resistor mesh network in order to simulate substrate interactions and incorporates a Gaussian-distributed current pulse network for precise modelling of Single Event Transients. Case studies including a bandgap reference circuit and a strong arm comparator confirm the effectiveness and the accuracy of RadiSPICE-L in identifying radiation-sensitive regions and evaluating layout-based charge mitigation strategies, such as guard rings, to enhance circuit robustness. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.