Ultra-low Power Processor Design Using Subthreshold Design Techniques

Zhai, Bo/ Blaauw, David/ Sylvester, Dennis

ISBN 10: 3836497867 / ISBN 13: 9783836497862

Published by Vdm Verlag Dr Mueller E K, 2008

184 pages. 9.00x6.00x0.50 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # 3836497867

Synopsis:

Power consumption is becoming worse with every technology generation. While there has been much research in recent years proposing design methods addressing this issue, one of the most efficient approaches is to reduce supply voltage. In our research, we found the optimal voltage (Vmin) for energy efficiency in CMOS technology. We analyzed the different factors affecting Vmin and find that Vmin usually lies in subthreshold voltage regime. To verify the high energy efficiency of subthreshold operation, we designed and fabricated two subthreshold processors in 0.13um technology, specifically, the Subliminal 1 and Subliminal 2 processors. Measurements confirm 2.60pJ per instruction efficiency for the Subliminal 1. Also, we designed and fabricated the first sub-200mV compact 6-T SRAM in a commercial 0.13um CMOS technology. Silicon measurements show that all 24 dies measured were fully functional and a typical die operates from 1.2V to 193mV. Then to address the lost performance from voltage scaling, we proposed a novel micro-architecture and found that having multiple cores sharing one faster local L1 provides the best energy efficiency.

About the Author: Bo Zhai received his B.S. degree in microelectronics from Peking University, China, in 2002, his M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, in 2004 and 2007. His research focuses on low power VLSI design and array methodology. He is a currently a senior design engineer at Advanced Micro Devices in Austin, TX.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Ultra-low Power Processor Design Using ...
Publisher: Vdm Verlag Dr Mueller E K
Publication Date: 2008
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Brand New