Body Bias Circuit Switching for Hotsocket Power-Up Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits face high power consumption and undesirable current surges during hotsocket conditions due to the absence of valid body bias voltage, leading to inefficiencies and power losses during power-up operations.
Innovation Solution
A hotsocket-compatible body bias circuitry that includes a boost circuit to generate a boosted voltage from a valid power supply signal, which is used as a temporary body bias voltage until the elevated external power supply signal becomes valid, ensuring proper transistor biasing and minimizing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If body bias voltage is supplied from an external source during normal operation, then leakage current is reduced and power consumption decreases, but during hotsocket conditions the externally supplied body bias voltage may not be valid leading to undesirably large transistor currents
Solution Approach 1:
A boost circuit is introduced as an intermediary component that generates a boosted version of the core logic power supply voltage to serve as body bias voltage during hotsocket conditions. This intermediary voltage source ensures reliable transistor current control when the external elevated power supply signal is not yet valid, preventing undesirably large transistor currents while maintaining low power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The boost circuit proactively generates the body bias voltage from the core logic power supply before the external elevated power supply signal becomes valid. By performing this action in advance during power-up, the circuit prevents the hotsocket condition from causing large transistor currents, ensuring reliable operation from the moment the core logic power supply becomes available.
2Use of energy by moving object
If body bias voltage is applied to reduce leakage current, then power efficiency improves, but during power-up operations current surges occur when external body bias voltage is not available
Solution Approach 1:
The boost circuit acts as an intermediary voltage generator that provides a valid body bias voltage during the power-up transition period. By generating this intermediate voltage from the core logic power supply, the circuit maintains proper transistor biasing and prevents current surges while ensuring continuous power efficiency improvement through effective leakage current reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The boost circuit provides beforehand cushioning by generating the body bias voltage in advance during power-up, before the external elevated power supply signal becomes valid. This protective measure cushions against the potential harmful effect of current surges by ensuring proper transistor biasing is established before full power operation begins.
3Loss of energy
If the integrated circuit waits for external elevated power supply signal to become valid before applying body bias, then external body bias voltage can be used for optimal performance, but power losses occur during the waiting period
Solution Approach 1:
The boost circuit serves as an intermediary solution that eliminates the power loss during the waiting period by generating body bias voltage immediately from the core logic power supply. While this adds circuit complexity, the intermediary boost circuit only operates during the brief power-up transition, providing an efficient compromise between minimizing power loss and managing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The body bias circuit operates dynamically by switching between two modes: using the external elevated power supply signal during normal operation and using the internally generated boosted voltage during hotsocket conditions. This dynamic adaptation allows the circuit to optimize performance under different operating conditions while managing the trade-off between power efficiency and circuit complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces leakage currents and power consumption by providing a valid body bias voltage during power-up, preventing undesirable current surges and ensuring efficient operation even when external body bias voltage is not available.
Implementation Method 1
a boost circuit on the integrated circuit may produce a boosted voltage from the valid power supply signal. This boosted voltage may be temporarily used as the body bias signal while waiting for the elevated power supply signal to become valid.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit is provided that has circuitry containing metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors with body terminals. The body terminals may be biased with an externally supplied body bias voltage that reduces power consumption. During power-up operations, the external body bias voltage may temporarily not be available. In this situation, boost circuitry may produce an internal power supply signal that may be used in place of the unavailable external body bias voltage, thereby reducing leakage currents and power consumption during power up. A multiplexer may be used in routing an appropriate body bias signal to the transistors. The boost circuitry and multiplexer may be controlled by control signals that are generated by control logic. The control logic may produce the control signals by monitoring external and internally generated power supply voltage levels during power up operations.