Temperature-Scaling Supply Voltage Regulation for IC Power Grids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits (ICs) face performance challenges across extreme temperature ranges due to varying cell delay caused by mobility and threshold voltage changes, leading to inefficiencies and increased leakage current, especially in system-on-a-chip (SOC) designs, where supply voltage regulation is inadequate to maintain optimal performance and balance power consumption, performance, and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for supply voltage regulation with temperature scaling, which adjusts supply voltage to compensate for temperature variations and ground grid resistance, using a voltage regulator amplifier, temperature sensor, and scaling resistor to maintain performance within specified ranges by optimizing supply voltage based on temperature and load conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If lower supply voltage is used to scale CMOS technology below 65 nm, then power consumption is reduced, but cell delay increases due to threshold voltage effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic supply voltage adjustment based on temperature conditions. The system transitions from a static low supply voltage (0.9V) to a dynamic voltage level that increases with temperature, optimizing the balance between power consumption and cell delay performance across different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the supply voltage parameter dynamically based on temperature. By adjusting the supply voltage from a fixed low level to a temperature-dependent variable level, the system compensates for threshold voltage effects and maintains acceptable cell delay while operating at lower voltages for power efficiency.
2Speed
If LVT devices are used to improve performance, then cell delay decreases, but leakage current increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses temperature-based supply voltage adjustment to compensate for the use of LVT devices. By dynamically increasing supply voltage with temperature, the system maintains performance targets while allowing the use of LVT devices that would otherwise exhibit excessive leakage at lower voltages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an alternative solution to using LVT devices by adjusting supply voltage. Instead of relying on low-threshold-voltage devices to achieve performance targets, the system copies the performance benefit through voltage scaling, avoiding the leakage penalty of LVT devices.
3Speed
If supply voltage is increased to improve performance, then cell delay decreases, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic supply voltage adjustment based on temperature conditions. Rather than using a constantly high supply voltage, the system adjusts voltage dynamically - increasing it only when temperature requires it for performance, and maintaining lower voltage during normal operation to save power.
Data Source
AI summary
A supply voltage regulation system for an IC including a temperature sensor that detects temperature of the IC, a scaling resistor coupled between a power grid and a feedback node of the IC, a regulator amplifier that compares a voltage of the feedback node with a reference voltage for developing a supply voltage for the IC, and a temperature scaling circuit that drives a scaling current to the scaling resistor via the feedback node to adjust the supply voltage based on temperature. The temperature scaling circuit may include one or more comparators that compare a temperature signal with corresponding temperature thresholds for selectively applying one or more bias currents to the scaling resistor. The scaling resistor may be coupled to a hot point of the power grid. A voltage difference between a hot point of a ground grid may be converted to a bias current applied to the scaling resistor.