Rowhammer Vulnerability of DRAMs in 3-D Integration

We investigate the vulnerability of 3-D-integrated dynamic random access memorys (DRAMs) [i.e., typically connected with silicon via (TSV), monolithic interconnect via (MIV)] to Rowhammer attacks. We have developed a SPICE framework to characterize Rowhammer attacks for the scenarios described. We utilize OPENROAD ASAP7 PDK for our simulation. We investigate horizontal (within the same tier) and vertical (across multiple tiers) variants of Rowhammer attacks. We show that horizontal Rowhammer vulnerability may be reduced through DRAM bank partitioning. In addition, we show that vertical parasitic capacitance in TSV 3D-DRAM is unlikely to lead to vertical Rowhammer attacks. However, vertical parasitic capacitance in MIV 3D-DRAM can make vertical Rowhammer attacks feasible.

Duke Scholars

Author Tyler K Bletsch Electrical and Computer Engineering