Dual-VT 4kb Sub-VT Memories with <1 pW/bit Leakage in 65 nm CMOS

Oskar Andersson, Babak Mohammadi, Pascal Meinerzhagen, Andreas Burg, Joachim Rodrigues

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingPaper in conference proceedingpeer-review

Abstract

Two standard-cell based memories (SCMs) for op- eration in the subthreshold (sub-VT) region are presented. The SCMs accomplish the task of robust sub-VT storage and fill the gap of missing sub-VT memory compilers. The storage elements (latches) of these SCMs are custom-designed cells using a dual- VT approach to balance timing. Additionally, two read-logic styles are presented: 1) a segmented 3-state implementation that increases performance compared to a pure 3-state implemen- tation; and 2) a purely MUX-based implementation with the 1st stage (NAND gate) integrated into the storage cell. Silicon measurements of two 4kb SCMs manufactured in a low-power 65 nm CMOS technology show that read access speed increases by 4X and 8X compared to a pure 3-state implementation for the segmented 3-state and integrated NAND, respectively, while bit-access energy only increases by 2.7X and 2X to 39 and 29 fJ, respectively.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the ESSCIRC (ESSCIRC), 2013
PublisherIEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages192-200
ISBN (Print)978-1-4799-0643-7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013
EventIEEE European Solid State Circuits Conference, ESSCIRC 2013 - Bucharest, Romania
Duration: 2013 Sept 162013 Sept 20

Publication series

Name
ISSN (Print)1930-8833

Conference

ConferenceIEEE European Solid State Circuits Conference, ESSCIRC 2013
Country/TerritoryRomania
CityBucharest
Period2013/09/162013/09/20

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering

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