Methods and apparatus for varying a supply voltage or reference voltage using independent control of diode voltage in asymmetrical double-gate devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for varying one or more of a supply voltage and reference voltage in an integrated circuit, using independent control of a diode voltage in an asymmetrical double-gate device. An integrated circuit is provided that is controlled by one or more of a supply voltage and a reference voltage. The integrated circuit comprises an independently controlled asymmetrical double-gate device to adjust one or more of the supply voltage and the reference voltage. The independent control may comprise, for example, a back gate bias. The independently controlled asymmetrical double-gate device may be employed in a number of applications, including voltage islands, static RAM, and to improve the power and performance of a processing unit.

Description

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT RIGHTS [0001] This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. NBCH3039004 awarded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Government has certain rights in this invention.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to techniques for varying a voltage by a diode voltage in various integrated circuits and, more particularly, to techniques for providing a variable diode voltage using independently controlled asymmetrical double-gate devices. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] A number of techniques have been proposed or suggested for containing power / leakage, improving performance, and extending scaling, including voltage islands, dynamic VDD, and separate supplies for logic and SRAM. For example, one commonly used technique drops the supply voltage (or raises the Ground voltage) through a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) diode by one threshold voltage, VT. MOS diodes are also widely used in power-gati...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] In addition, the adjusted back-gate bias can be employed in a processing unit to improve power and performance of the processing unit. A processor unit according to the present invention comprises: (i) an oscillator; (ii) at least one independently controlled asymmetrical double-gate device that provides a variable threshold voltage, VT; (iii) a phase detector to compare an output of the oscillator to a reference signal; and (iv) a charge pump to adjust a back-gate bias of the at least one independently controlled asymmetrical double-gate device based on the comparison.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, it is known that the VT modulation effect diminishes with device scaling due to a low body factor in the scaled, low VT transistor.

Finally, the distributed RC for the well / body contact limits the viable operating frequency.

Thus, the disclosed asymmetrical double-gate devices cannot be used to provide a variable VT diode and thereby control the virtual VDD or virtual Ground in the integrated circuit 100 of FIG. 1.

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