AFamily ofCells toReducethe Soft-Error-Rate inTernary-CAM*

contents ofthestorage element areflipped thuscausing a Modernintegrated circuits require careful attention tothe Single-Event-Upset (SEU)[1]. Theseerrors aredesignated soft-error rate(SER)resulting frombitupsets, whichare soft-errors since theydonotcauseapermanent failure of normally caused byalpha particle orneutronhits. These thecircuit [2]andthefrequency ofsoft-errors foradevice events, alsoreferred toassingle-event upsets (SEUs), will isdesignated theSoft-Error-Rate (SER). becomemoreproblematic infuture technologies. Thispa- Static RandomAccess Memory(SRAM)cells areusually perpresents aternary content-addressable memory(CAM) usedtoimplement memories thatrequire fast access times design withhighimmunity toSEU.Conventionally, error- andlowpowerdissipation. Historically, SRAM cells were correcting codes (ECC)havebeenusedinSRAMstoaddress robust against soft-errors because oftheinherent feedback thisissue, butthese techniques arenotimmediately appli- ofthecell, butastheSRAM cell hasbeenmadesmaller and cable toCAMsbecause theydepend onprocessing thefull withtheexponential increase intheamountofSRAM on contents ofthememorywordoutside thearray, whichisnot chip, theSERinmemories hasincreased witheachprocess possible inanormalCAM access. We propose afamily of generation [1]. TCAM cells thatreduce theSERatthecostofsomearea Content-Addressable Memories (CAM)areSRAM memo