Circuit Aging Sensor for Asymmetric BTI Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional integrated circuit aging sensors fail to adequately account for bias temperature instability (BTI) induced asymmetric aging, leading to inadequate compensation and potential circuit failure due to untimely degradation in operational timing and duty cycle changes.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a circuit aging sensor with a ring oscillator and tuning circuits that measure and compensate for asymmetric aging by dynamically adjusting power supply voltage and frequency, using multiple ring oscillators with different power supply voltages and a power supply multiplexer to accurately assess and mitigate aging effects across various workloads and voltage conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional aging sensors are used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to failure to account for BTI induced asymmetric aging
Solution Approach 1:
The aging sensor is divided into multiple independent ring oscillators, each operating at different power supply voltages. This segmentation allows each oscillator to measure aging effects under specific voltage conditions, enabling comprehensive capture of asymmetric aging while keeping individual oscillator structures relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor dynamically switches between different ring oscillators based on the current operating voltage of the circuit. By making the measurement system adaptive and voltage-dependent, the sensor accurately captures aging effects across varying operating conditions without requiring all oscillators to operate simultaneously, thus managing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple ring oscillators with different power supply voltages are used, then adaptability to different voltage conditions improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple ring oscillators serve universal purposes by measuring aging effects under different voltage conditions. Each oscillator is not just a separate measurement device but contributes to a comprehensive aging characterization that applies to the entire circuit system, making the added complexity worthwhile.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor operates periodically by switching between different ring oscillators based on voltage conditions. Rather than having all oscillators active simultaneously, the system transitions between oscillators in a controlled manner, reducing the effective complexity at any given moment while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability.
3Use of energy by moving object
If dynamic voltage and frequency scaling is implemented, then energy consumption is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to timing degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The aging sensor provides feedback about timing degradation caused by dynamic voltage and frequency scaling. By continuously monitoring the actual timing characteristics and comparing them against expected values, the sensor enables the system to compensate for timing variations, maintaining measurement precision even under dynamic operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor measures aging effects at different power supply voltages and frequency conditions. By characterizing how timing parameters change with voltage and frequency, the system can adjust measurement and compensation parameters to maintain precision across the full range of dynamic operating conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes a circuit aging sensor that provides information regarding operational degradation of the integrated circuit due to aging. The aging sensor includes a ring oscillator that includes inverting drivers and tuning circuits. The drivers are sequentially coupled to form a ring. An output of each of the drivers is coupled to an input of one of the tuning circuits, and an input of each of the drivers is coupled to an output of one of the tuning circuits. Each of the tuning circuits includes a first signal path and a second signal path. The first signal path selectably applies a tuning delay to an input signal received from one of the drivers for provision to an input of a successive one of the drivers. The second signal path selectably routes the signal received around the tuning delay to the input of the successive one of the drivers.