Semiconductor Clock Control for Temperature-Driven Leakage Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing proportion of leakage power in semiconductor devices due to miniaturization, which significantly rises with temperature, poses a challenge in managing power consumption effectively, especially in communication terminals where temperature variations affect operating efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device that dynamically adjusts its operating frequency based on temperature, switching to a higher frequency when the temperature exceeds a predetermined reference, thereby optimizing power reduction modes between idle and leakage power reduction modes to minimize overall power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the operating frequency is increased to improve processing speed, then productivity is improved, but power consumption increases due to higher leakage power at elevated temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the operating frequency adjustable rather than fixed. The frequency is dynamically changed based on temperature conditions: a first (lower) frequency is used when temperature is high to reduce leakage power, while a second (higher) frequency is used when temperature is low to improve processing speed. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between productivity and power consumption by optimizing frequency based on real-time thermal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating frequency parameter according to temperature conditions. By switching between different frequency values (first frequency vs. second frequency) based on temperature thresholds, the system optimizes the balance between processing speed and power consumption. This parameter change strategy directly addresses the technical contradiction by adjusting the frequency parameter to suit different thermal environments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If miniaturization is pursued to improve integration density, then device functionality is improved, but leakage power proportion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the leakage power issue caused by miniaturization by changing the operating frequency parameter based on temperature. Since leakage power becomes more significant in miniaturized devices and increases with temperature, the system uses a lower first frequency at high temperatures to reduce the impact of leakage power, while allowing higher speeds at lower temperatures when leakage is less problematic.
3Use of energy by moving object
If temperature control is implemented to reduce leakage power, then power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic frequency control mechanism that automatically adjusts operating frequency based on temperature conditions. This dynamic system uses temperature sensing and conditional logic to switch between first and second frequencies, providing adaptive power management without requiring complex active cooling or heating systems. The complexity is minimized by using straightforward temperature-based threshold comparison and frequency switching.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes an operation unit (CPU) provided in a semiconductor chip and a temperature sensor (TS) that measures a temperature of the semiconductor chip. The semiconductor device compares a measured temperature (Ta) measured by the temperature sensor (TS) with a predetermined reference temperature (Tref). When the measured temperature (Ta) is higher than the reference temperature (Tref), the semiconductor device switches a frequency of an operation clock to be supplied to the operation unit (CPU) from a first frequency to a second frequency higher than the first frequency.