Adaptive Flip-Flop Reconfiguration for Low-Voltage IC Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor integrated circuits operating at extremely low voltages face issues with DC errors and AC characteristics errors, leading to malfunction and inefficiency, particularly in flip-flops, which existing redundancy techniques struggle to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor integrated circuit with a selector section and error detection section that identifies and replaces error flip-flops using redundant flip-flops, and a power-supply voltage adaptive control system that adjusts voltage levels based on error detection, ensuring efficient operation and minimizing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the operation voltage of a logic circuit is reduced to achieve extremely low power consumption, then power consumption is greatly reduced, but DC error and AC characteristics error occur in flip-flops causing malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing error detection and reconfiguration before the flip-flop malfunction affects the entire circuit. The reconfiguration capability is prepared in advance, allowing the system to switch to redundant flip-flops when errors are detected, thus preventing complete circuit failure while maintaining low voltage operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by introducing reconfiguration information that dynamically alters which flip-flops are active. When DC or AC errors are detected at low voltage, the system changes the state of flip-flops by enabling redundant units, thereby adapting to the degraded performance conditions without increasing voltage
2Reliability
If redundancy technique is used to replace error flip-flops, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional redundant flip-flops and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing redundant flip-flops that can serve multiple purposes: they stand by as backups during normal operation and automatically take over when primary flip-flops fail. The same redundant units provide both fault tolerance and adaptability to low-voltage conditions, reducing the need for separate correction mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies self-service through automatic error detection and self-reconfiguration capabilities. The circuit monitors its own flip-flop operations and automatically switches to redundant units when errors are detected, without requiring external intervention or complex control systems, thereby improving reliability while limiting complexity growth
3Measurement precision
If scan chain is used for error detection at test mode, then error detection capability is improved, but productivity decreases due to additional test time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the error detection function with the existing scan chain structure used for normal operation. By integrating error detection into the scan chain, the system achieves precise error detection without requiring separate testing infrastructure, thereby improving measurement precision while minimizing the impact on productivity
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor integrated circuit has: N input terminals; N output terminals; a plurality of flip-flops including N flip-flops and R redundant flip-flops; a selector section configured to select N selected flip-flops from the plurality of flip-flops depending on reconfiguration information and to switch data flow such that data input to the N input terminals are respectively output to the N output terminals by the N selected flip-flops; and an error detection section. At a test mode, the N flip-flops form a scan chain and a scan data is input to the scan chain. The error detection section detects an error flip-flop included in the N flip-flops based on scan input/output data respectively input/output to/from the N flip-flops at the test mode and further generates the reconfiguration information such that the detected error flip-flop is excluded from the N selected flip-flops.