Dual Power Control Circuit for IC Voltage Drop Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power management in integrated circuits faces issues such as voltage level drops and electromigration due to high peak turn-on currents, which can cause functional crashes and structural damage, especially in larger chips.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a dual power control circuit system where a first power control circuit with limited current capacity initiates a power sequence, and a second power control circuit with higher current capacity takes over to maintain the voltage, reducing peak current and preventing excessive voltage drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a conventional header circuit turns on power directly to a large chip section, then the power supply is activated quickly, but the high peak current lowers the power supply voltage level causing functional crashes and accuracy degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The power control circuit is divided into multiple stages: a first power control circuit (header circuit) and a second power control circuit (footer circuit). The header circuit initially provides limited current to raise the local power supply voltage to a safe level, then the footer circuit takes over to provide the full current needed for complete power-up. This segmentation prevents high peak current while ensuring reliable power activation.
2Speed
If a conventional header circuit turns on power directly to a large chip section, then the power supply is activated quickly, but the high peak current induces electromigration causing structural damage
Solution Approach 1:
The power control circuit is divided into multiple stages: a first power control circuit (header circuit) and a second power control circuit (footer circuit). The header circuit initially provides limited current to raise the local power supply voltage to a safe level, then the footer circuit takes over to provide the full current needed for complete power-up. This segmentation prevents high peak current while ensuring reliable power activation.
3Device complexity
If a single power control circuit is used, then the device complexity is low, but the current capacity must be high causing voltage drops and reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The power control circuit is divided into multiple stages: a first power control circuit (header circuit) and a second power control circuit (footer circuit). The header circuit initially provides limited current to raise the local power supply voltage to a safe level, then the footer circuit takes over to provide the full current needed for complete power-up. This segmentation prevents high peak current while ensuring reliable power activation.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes a global power supply node. A first power domain has a first power management circuit, which includes a local power supply node. A first power control circuit is capable of receiving an input signal. A second power control circuit has a higher current capacity than the first power control circuit. The first power control circuit and the second power control circuit are coupled to the local power supply node and the global power supply node. The input signal is configured to initiate a power sequence, e.g., a power up process or a power down process, in the first power control circuit. A first control signal generated by the first power control circuit is configured to initiate a power sequence in the second power control circuit.