Latch Layout Using Mixed Gate Widths to Cut Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of integrated circuits poses challenges in design and manufacturing, particularly in reducing time delays and ensuring reliability while maintaining functionality and power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The use of transistors with different gate widths in active-region structures for master-slave flip-flops and data latches, where wide transistors are used in wide active-region structures and narrow transistors in narrow active-region structures to reduce time delays and improve reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transistors with different gate widths are used in active-region structures, then time delays are reduced and reliability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using transistors with different gate widths in different active-region structures within the same circuit. Specifically, first transistors have first gate widths in first active-region structures, while second transistors have second gate widths in second active-region structures. This localized differentiation optimizes performance in specific circuit regions without requiring complete redesign of the entire device, thereby enhancing reliability while controlling complexity.
2Loss of time
If transistors with different gate widths are used in active-region structures, then time delays are reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circuit into different active-region structures, each containing transistors with specific gate widths optimized for their functional requirements. By dividing the circuit into distinct regions with differentiated transistor characteristics, the design achieves reduced time delays through optimized signal paths while managing manufacturing precision requirements through structured segmentation rather than uniform high-precision requirements across the entire circuit.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes: active regions including wide active regions and narrow active regions extending in a first direction; transistors including components formed in the active regions; gate widths of corresponding first ones of the transistors in the wide active regions being larger than gate widths of corresponding second ones of the transistors in the narrow active regions; a first latch including a first inverter and a first clocked inverter coupled together in parallel; the first inverter being comprised of corresponding ones of the first transistors; and the first clocked inverter being comprised of corresponding ones of the second transistors.