Process-Voltage Sensor Chip Area Reduction via RC Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor chip area increases, the effective reduction of Process-Voltage (PV) sensor area while maintaining relative accuracy becomes a crucial issue, as existing solutions do not efficiently reuse hardware to stabilize performance characteristics across varying power supply voltage levels and temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A PV sensor is designed to combine a resistor-capacitor (RC) calibration circuit and a voltage sensor, utilizing a control circuit, comparator, and multiplexer to generate calibration and comparison results, enabling hardware reuse and reducing chip area by using the same components for both RC calibration and voltage sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate RC calibration circuit and voltage sensor are used, then measurement precision is improved, but chip area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the RC calibration circuit and voltage sensor into a single integrated PV sensor module. The control circuit generates control signals that enable the same hardware components to perform both RC calibration measurements and voltage sensing operations, eliminating the need for separate dedicated circuits and reducing overall chip area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the PV sensor with multi-functional components where the control circuit, comparator, and capacitor can serve multiple purposes. The control circuit generates control signals for both RC calibration and voltage sensing, the comparator performs both calibration comparisons and voltage level comparisons, and the capacitor is used in both calibration and sensing operations, thereby reducing the total component count and chip area.
2Reliability
If multiple PV sensors are installed in various regions of the chip, then performance stabilization is improved, but chip area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple sensing functions (RC calibration and voltage sensing) into a single PV sensor unit. By combining these functions that were previously implemented as separate circuits, the patent reduces the total area required while maintaining the capability to stabilize device performance across varying PVT conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The PV sensor is designed as a multi-functional unit that can perform both RC calibration measurements and voltage sensing operations. This universal design allows a single sensor placement to provide both calibration data and voltage monitoring, reducing the need for multiple separate sensor installations across the chip.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a PV sensor including a control circuit, a RC calibration circuit, and a voltage sensor. The control circuit is configured to generate at least one control signal. The RC calibration circuit is configured to receive the at least one control signal to generate a voltage indicates information of (1/R*C). The voltage sensor comprises a comparator, wherein the voltage sensor senses a voltage level of a received signal by using comparator to generate a sensing result, and the comparator is further configured to compare the calibration result within a reference voltage to generate a comparison result to the control circuit.