Towards an error-free 3-D memory for space applications

Three-dimensional memory devices solve the problem of limited storage capacity on space missions, where the generation of data increases with each launch. Unfortunately, with the actual state-of-the-art it is necessary to protect these memory dies by applying specific designs or ad hoc manufacturing techniques. Following these approaches, it is not possible to use Commercial-Off-The-Shelf solutions based on technology such as HBM2 or HMC, which increase excessively the budget. This work defines an external solution compatible with legacy and new technologies that exploits efficient Reed-Solomon architectures and hardwired bits to reduce the failures-in-time rate to zero under standard conditions (between five and two orders of magnitude compared to the existing solutions) and increases the number of scenarios in which the information can be recovered. All the features can be achieved keeping the same throughput as the unprotected memory dices and at a cost of 77% more area and an increase of 33% in parity.