Alpha-particle-tolerant semiconductor die systems, devices, components and methods for optimizing clock rates and minimizing die size

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for determining the placement of storage and non-storage cells or components, representing a semiconductor component in a design stage, on an integrated circuit die. In one embodiment, regions of a semiconductor die are analyzed with respect to the susceptibility of a region to be exposed to radiation and the distance between a storage component and a local clock buffer. The radiation, for instance, may be alpha particle radiation emitted from lead (Pb) isotopes in solder bumps formed on the integrated circuit die. The distance, spatial positioning and/or physical proximity of a selected local clock buffer and a storage component are preferably selected so that the skew between the storage component and the local clock buffer is about 30 picoseconds or less. Other maximum skews may be employed, however, such as about 100 picoseconds or less, about 90 picoseconds or less, about 80 picoseconds or less, about 70 picoseconds or less, about 60 picoseconds or less, about 50 picoseconds or less, about 40 picoseconds or less, about 20 picoseconds or less, about 10 picoseconds or less and about 5 picoseconds or less.