Design and Performance Comparison of Radiation-Tolerant and Conventional 8:1 Multiplexers in 90nm Technology

This study presents the design and performance trade-offs between the radiation-tolerant and conventional 8:1 multiplexers using 90 nm semiconductor technology in cadence virtuoso, focusing on their performance metrics and radiation resilience characteristics. Radiation tolerance is a crucial factor for electronic systems deployed in radiation-intensive environments. The motivation of this study is generated from the need of creating reliable electronic systems in radiation-rich environments. The methodology involves the design and simulation of both conventional and radiation-hardened multiplexers, followed by a detailed analysis of their performance under simulated radiation conditions. The analysis evaluates key design parameters including propagation delay, power consumption, area utilization, layout design and transistors. Results indicate that radiation-tolerant multiplexers demonstrate enhanced resilience against SEE, albeit with slightly higher power consumption and area overhead than conventional designs optimized for speed and efficiency. The study concludes that the choice between these multiplexer types should be guided by specific application needs, balancing the trade-off between performance efficiency and robustness in radiation-sensitive environments.