High-speed and low-power techniques are described for megabit-class size-configurable CMOS SRAM macrocells. To shorten the design turn-around-time, the methodology of abutting nine kinds of leaf cells is employed; two-level via-hole programming and the array-address decoder embedded in each control leaf cell present a divided-memory-array structure. A new squashed-memory-cell architecture using trench isolation and stacked-via-holes is proposed to reduce access times and power dissipation. To shorten the time for writing data, per-bitline architecture is proposed, in which every bitline has a personal writing driver. Also, read-out circuitry using a current-sense-type two-stage sense amplifier is designed. The effect of the non-multiplexed bitline scheme for fast read-out is shown in a simulation result. To reduce the noise from the second- to first-stage amplifier due to a feedback loop, current paths are separated so as not to cause common impedance. To confirm the techniques described in this paper, a 1-Mb SRAM test chip was fabricated with an advanced 0.35-µm CMOS/bulk process. The SRAM has demonstrated 250-MHz operation with a 2.5-V typical power supply. Also, 100-mW power dissipation was obtained at a practical operating frequency of 150-MHz.

Fast and low-power circuit techniques suitable for size-configurable SRAM macrocells are described. An SRAM cell architecture using virtual-GND lines along bitlines is proposed; each virtual-GND line switches the potential by inner read-enable and column-address-decoded signals. Reducing the active power dissipation in the memory array and shortening the time for writing data are simultaneously accomplished. The range of available supply voltages is enhanced by adoptive higher virtual-GND level control with a simple voltage limiter. An SRAM-macrocell test chip is designed and fabricated with 0.5-µm CMOS technology. A 4K-word6-bit organization SRAM demonstrates 186-MHz operation at a 3.3-V typical power supply. Its power dissipation at a practical operating frequency, 100-MHz, is reduced to 29% (25-mW) by the proposed virtual-GND line techniques.

A new data-I/O scheme with a hidden writing-recovery architecture has been developed for the megabit-class high operating frequency SRAMs. Read-out nodes in the memory cell are separated from bitline-connected writing nodes so as not to delay sensing initiation due to uncompleted bitline recovery. The data stored in a memory cell are read-out by sensing the differential current signal on a double-rail virtual-GND line along bitlines. Each pair of virtual-GND lines is imaginarily short-circuited by a sense amplifier, so that the read-out circuitry would have large immunity against virtual-GND-line noises. The critical noise level associated with data destruction is analyzed at various supply voltages. The virtual-GND-line-sensed memory cell with the squashed topology, the swing-suppression-type low-power writing circuitry, and the current-sense amplifier with extra negative feedback loops, --which are used in the data-I/O scheme are also mentioned. Assuming a sub array in megabit-class SRAMs, 4 K-words 6 -bits test chip was fabricated with a 0.5-µm CMOS process. The SRAM achieved 180-MHz operation at a typical 3.3-V, 25 condition. The power dissipation at the practical operating frequency of 133-MHz was 50-mW.

This paper describes a speed-oriented ultralow-voltage and low-power SOI circuit technique based on a differential enhancement- and depletion-mode (ED)-MOS circuit. Combining an ED-MOS circuit block for critical paths and a multi-Vth CMOS circuit block for noncritical paths, that is, the so-called differential ED-CMOS/SOI circuit, makes it possible to achieve low-power and ultrahigh-speed operation of over 1 GHz at a supply voltage of less than 0.5 V. As two applications of the differential ED-CMOS/SOI circuit, a multi-stage frequency divider that uses the ED-MOS circuit in a first-stage frequency divider and a pipelined adder with a CMOS pipeline register are described in detail. To verify the effectiveness of the ED-CMOS/SOI circuit scheme, we fabricated a 1/8 frequency divider and a 32-bit binary look-ahead carry (BLC) adder using the 0.25-µm MTCMOS/SOI process. The frequency divider operates down to 0.3 V with a maximum operating frequency of 3.6 GHz while suppressing power dissipation to 0.3 mW. The 32-bit adder operates at a frequency of 1 GHz at 0.5 V.

The principles and design of current sense amplifiers for low-voltage MOS memories are described. The low input impedance of current sense amplifiers is explained using a simple model consisting of negative and positive resistance. A description of the model realized by a common-gate MOS amplifier employing transconductance enhancing techniques is also given. Some current sensing schemes for low-voltage ROM's and/or SRAM's are shown. For SRAM application, a current sensing scheme employing large-gain inverter-type amplifiers is proposed. A test chip including SRAM macrocells was designed and fabricated with 3.3-V 0.5-µm CMOS technology. An SRAM using current sense amplifiers was able to demonstrate that current sensing suppressed bitline delay to half that in conventional current-mirror types. The current sense amplifier had the same operating limit as the current-mirror type for low supply voltages. The measured operating limit of the STSM in this work was 1.3-V for threshold voltages of 0.55-V(n-channel) and -0.65-V(p-channel).

New memory-macrocell architecture has been developed to obtain high-performance macrocells with a short design Turn-Around-Time (TAT) in ASIC design. The authors propose row- and column-sliceable macrocell architecture in which only nine kinds of rectangular-functional cells, called leaf-cells, are abutted to form macrocells of any sizes. The row-sliceable structure of peripheral circuits is possible due to a newly-developed channel-embedded address decoder combined with via-hole programming. Macrocell performance, especially access time, is kept at a high level by the distributed driver configuration. Zero address-setup time during write operation is actualized by delaying internal write timing with a new delay circuit. A short design TAT of 30 minutes is accomplished due to the simplicity of both macrocell generation and the checking procedure. The macrocells are designed with gate-array and full-custom style, and fabricated with 0.5 µm CMOS technology.

Cache memories are the major application of high-speed SRAMs, and they are frequently installed in high performance logic VLSIs including microprocessors. This paper presents a 4-way set-associative, SOI cache-tag memory. To obtain higher operating speed with less power dissipation, we devised an I/O-separated memory cell with a dual-rail wordline, which is used to transmit complementary selection signals. The address decoding delay was shortened using CMOS dual-rail logic. To enhance the maximum operating frequency, bitline's recovery operations after writing data were eliminated using a memory array configuration without half-selected cells. Moreover, conventional, sensitive but slow differential amplifiers were successfully removed from the data I/O circuitry with a hierarchical bitline scheme. As regards the stored data management, we devised a new hardware-oriented LRU-data replacement algorithm on the basis of 6-bit directed graph. With the experimental results obtained with a test chip fabricated with a 0.25-µm CMOS/SIMOX process, the core of the cache-tag memory with a 1024-set configuration can achieve a 1.5-ns address access time under typical conditions of a 2-V power supply and 25°C. The power dissipation during standby was less than 14 µW, and that at the 500-MHz operation was 13-83 mW, depending on the bit-stream data pattern.

Two-port SRAMs are frequently installed in gate-array VLSIs to implement smart functions. This paper presents a new high-density 10T CMOS base cell for gate-array-based two-port SRAM applications. Using the single base cell alone, we can implement a two-port memory cell whose bitline contacts are shared with the memory cell adjacent to one of two dedicated sides, resulting in greatly reduced parasitic capacitance in bitlines. To throw light on the total performance derived from the base cell, a plain two-port SRAM macro was designed and fabricated with a 0.35-µm low cost, logic process. Each of two 10-bit power-saved address decoders was formed with 36% fewer base cells by employing complex gates and a subdecoder. The new sense amplifier with a complementary sensing scheme had a fine sensitivity of 35 mVpp, and so we successfully reduced the required read bitline signal from 250 to 70 mVpp. With the macro with 1024 memory cells per bitline, the address access time under typical conditions of a 2.5-V power supply and 25°C was 4.0 ns (equal to that obtained with full-custom style design) and the power consumption at 200-MHz simultaneous operations of two ports was 6.7 mW for an I/O-data width of 1 bit.

Multiport SRAMs are frequently installed in network and/or telecommunication VLSIs to implement smart functions. This paper presents a high speed and low-power dual-port (i.e., 1W+1R two-port) SRAM macro customized for serial access operations. To reduce the wasted power dissipation due to subthreshold leakage currents, the supply voltage for 10T memory cells is lowered to 1 V and a power switch is prepared for every 64 word drivers. The switch is activated with look-ahead decoder-segment activation logic, so there is no penalty when selecting a wordline. The data I/O circuitry with a new column-based configuration makes it possible to hide the bitline precharge operation with the sensing operation in the read cycle ahead of it; that is, we have successfully reduced the read latency by a half clock cycle, resulting in a pure two-stage pipeline. The SRAM macro installed in a 4K-entry × 33-bit FIFO memory, fabricated with a 0.3-µm fully-depleted-SOI CMOS process, achieved a 500-MHz operation in the typical conditions of 2- and 1-V power supplies, and 25°C. The power consumption during the standby time was less than 1.0 mW, and that at a practical operating frequency of 400 MHz was in a range of 47-57 mW, depending on the bit-stream data pattern.

Timing vernier (i.e., digital-to-time converter) is a key component of the pin-electronics circuit board installed in automated digital-VLSI test equipment, and it is used to create fine delays of less than one-cycle time of a clock signal. This paper presents a new on-the-fly (timing-) jitter suppression technique which makes it possible to use low-power plain-CMOS-logic-based timing verniers. Using a power-compensation line installed at the poststage of the digitally variable delay line, we make every pulse (used as a timing signal) consume a fixed amount of electric energy independent of the required delay amount. Since the power load of intrapowerlines is kept constantly, the jitter increase in the situation of changing the required delay amount on the fly is suppressed. On the basis of the concept, a 10-ns span, 125-MHz timing-vernier macro was designed and fabricated with a CMOS process for logic VLSIs. Every macro installed in a real-time timing-signal generator VLSI achieved the required timing resolution of 31.25ps with a linearity error within 15ps. The on-the-fly jitter was successfully suppressed to a random jitter level (<26ps p-p).

Low-power circuit techniques for size-configurable SRAM macrocells with wide range of operating frequency are presented. Synchronous specification is employed to drastically reduce the power dissipation for low-frequency applications. Dynamic circuits applied to bitliness and sense circuits contribute to the reduction of power dissipation. To enhance the high-end limitation of operating frequency, a latch-type fast sense circuit and an accurate activation-timing control technique for size-configurable memory macrocells are proposed, and a special CMOS-level input buffer is devised to enable the minimum cycle time of fast synchronous memory macrocells to be evaluated with conventional LSI-test systems. A memory macrocell using these techniques was fabricated with 0.5-µm CMOS technology. Its power consumption strongly depends on the operating frequency, and at 3-MHz suitable for codeless telephone applications is less than 5% that of an asynchronous SRAM designed with full-static CMOS circuits. Its maximum operating frequency at 3.3-V in 100-MHz.