Integrated Circuit Power Rail Ohmic Drop Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits face performance degradation due to increased ohmic drop in power rails, which existing technologies have not effectively addressed.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a circuit chain with cascade-connected unit circuits distributively connected to power rail pairs, comprising high and low power rails, reduces ohmic drop by optimizing power distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power rails are used to provide power supply voltage to standard cells, then power distribution is achieved, but ohmic drop increases causing performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit chain is divided into multiple unit circuits that are distributed across different power rail pairs. Each unit circuit is connected to a specific power rail pair, segmenting the overall circuit functionality. This segmentation allows current to be distributed across multiple power paths, reducing the ohmic drop in any single power rail while maintaining overall power distribution effectiveness.
2Productivity
If unit circuits are cascade-connected in a circuit chain, then signal processing is achieved, but current concentration in power rails increases ohmic drop
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit chain is segmented into multiple unit circuits, each connected to different power rail pairs. This segmentation distributes the current load across multiple power rails instead of concentrating it in single rails, thereby reducing ohmic drop while preserving the cascade-connected signal processing functionality of the unit circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
Different unit circuits within the chain are connected to different power rail pairs, creating local variations in power supply paths. This local quality approach ensures that current is distributed across multiple localized power paths, reducing the overall ohmic drop in the power distribution network while maintaining the signal processing capability of each local unit circuit.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes a plurality of power rail pairs and a circuit chain. Each of the plurality of power rail pairs includes one of a plurality of high power rails configured to provide a first power supply voltage and one of a plurality of low power rails configured to provide a second power supply voltage that is lower than the first power supply voltage. The circuit chain includes a plurality of unit circuits that are cascade-connected such that an output of a previous unit circuit is provided as an input of a next unit circuit. The plurality of unit circuits are connected distributively to the plurality of power rail pairs.