Antifuse Leakage Reduction via Sleep Mode Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Programmable devices, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), experience significant cumulative leakage currents due to unprogrammed antifuses, which are undesirable in both active and low-power modes, particularly in sleep or standby modes, leading to substantial power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a programmable logic device with a switch array, interface logic, sleep mode gates, and sleep mode control logic that decouples switches from input signals and couples them to a common potential during sleep mode, effectively eliminating or reducing leakage currents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If unprogrammed antifuses are left in place in a programmable device, then the device maintains its programmability and configurability, but cumulative leakage current increases significantly during active and stand-by modes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unprogrammed antifuse switches from the circuit during sleep or stand-by modes through a cleaning operation. This extraction eliminates the leakage path while preserving the programmed connections, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining programmability and reducing energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic approach where the circuit configuration changes based on operational mode. During active mode, all antifuses remain in place to maintain programmability. During sleep mode, unprogrammed antifuses are dynamically removed through the cleaning operation, reducing leakage current while preserving the ability to reconfigure when needed.
2Device complexity
If unprogrammed antifuses remain connected during sleep mode, then the device structure remains intact and simple, but power consumption increases due to leakage current
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning operation extracts unprogrammed antifuses from the circuit during sleep mode, eliminating leakage current paths. This extraction is achieved through selective programming that removes the insulating material in unprogrammed antifuses, thereby reducing power consumption without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic cleaning operations at designated cleaning points during sleep mode transitions. This periodic action removes unprogrammed antifuses at specific intervals, reducing power consumption while maintaining a relatively simple circuit structure that only requires additional control logic for the cleaning operation.
3Loss of energy
If a cleaning operation is implemented to remove unprogrammed antifuses, then leakage current is reduced, but the device complexity and programming time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning operation is performed as a preliminary action during the programming process or at designated cleaning points before the device enters sleep mode. By performing this action in advance, the patent reduces leakage current without requiring complex real-time control mechanisms, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary cleaning operation that acts as a bridge between the programming process and the sleep mode operation. This intermediary step selectively removes unprogrammed antifuses using a cleaning signal that distinguishes between programmed and unprogrammed devices, reducing leakage current while adding only moderate complexity to the programming architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method of reducing power consumption across a switch, such as an unprogrammed antifuse, is provided. The invention applies to antifuses, other switches such as transistor based switches, (e.g., FLASH, EEPROM and/or SRAM) and other devices exhibiting a leakage current, especially during a sleep or stand-by mode. During a sleep mode, such switches or other devices may be uncoupled from signals driving the switches, then terminals of each switch may be coupled to a common potential or allowed to float to a common potential thereby eliminating or reducing leakage currents through the switches.