Driver Circuit Power Gating Layout for Off-Leakage Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

In semiconductor devices like LPDDR5 DRAM, the placement of switch circuits between transistor sources and power supply lines becomes a challenge when many driver circuits are arranged in an array, leading to inefficiencies in reducing off-leakage current.

Innovation Solution

The layout of driver circuits is optimized by collectively arranging transistors functioning as power supply switches in specific regions, with other transistors arranged in adjacent regions, which allows for shorter data signal paths and improved high-speed operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If switch circuits are provided in each driver circuit to reduce off-leakage current, then off-leakage current is reduced, but device complexity increases and layout becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoff-leakage currentVSAvoidcircuit layout complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple driver circuits share a single common switch circuit located in the power supply line. This merged approach maintains the off-leakage current reduction function while eliminating the need to replicate switch circuits in each driver circuit, thereby reducing overall device complexity and simplifying layout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The switch circuit is extracted from individual driver circuits and placed in the common power supply line. This extraction removes the complexity burden from each driver circuit while preserving the power gating function for off-leakage current reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Loss of energy

If driver circuits are arranged in an array with switch circuits, then off-leakage current is reduced, but data signal paths become longer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoff-leakage currentVSAvoiddata signal path length

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The switch circuit is extracted from the data signal path and placed in the power supply line. This separation allows data signals to flow directly through driver circuits without passing through switch circuits, thereby shortening data signal paths while maintaining power gating functionality for off-leakage reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of energy

If switch circuits are placed in each driver circuit, then off-leakage current is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoff-leakage currentVSAvoidswitch circuit placement precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple driver circuits share a single common switch circuit. This merging reduces the total number of switch circuits from N (one per driver) to 1 (shared), thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements for switch circuit placement and simplifying fabrication processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11466685B2Driver circuit equipped with power gating circuit

Publication Date: 2022.10.11 MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

Disclosed herein is an apparatus that includes a first buffer circuit, a plurality of first driver circuits configured to drive the first buffer circuit, and a plurality of first switch circuits configured to supply an operation voltage to the first driver circuits, respectively. The first driver circuits are collectively arranged in a first region in a matrix, and the first switch circuits are collectively arranged in a second region different from the first region.