Process variation on-chip sensor

Details Process variation on-chip sensor Process variation on-chip sensor

2011-01-11

2011-01-11

Koval, Melissa J (Department: 2831)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Measuring, testing, or sensing electricity, per se

C438S011000, C438S017000, C327S530000, C327S534000, C324S763010, C324S765010

Reexamination Certificate

active

07868606

ABSTRACT:
Improved process variation sensors and techniques are disclosed, wherein both global and local variations associated with transistors on an integrated circuit can be monitored. For example, respective circuits for sensing a global process variation, a local process variation between neighboring negative-channel type transistors, and a local process variation between neighboring positive-channel type transistors are disclosed. Further, in one example, a method for sensing a process variation associated with transistors on an integrated circuit includes providing at least one process variation sensor on the integrated circuit, the process variation sensor comprising a sensing portion including one or more transistors and a loading and amplification portion including one or more transistors, and operating the one or more transistors of the sensing portion and the one or more transistors of the loading and amplification portion in a subthreshold region of transistor operation such that when a threshold voltage of at least one of the transistors changes, a process variation is sensed.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5854563 (1998-12-01), Oh et al.
patent: 5903012 (1999-05-01), Boerstler
patent: 6091283 (2000-07-01), Murgula et al.
patent: 6185706 (2001-02-01), Sugasawara
patent: 6392465 (2002-05-01), Sauer
patent: 6622059 (2003-09-01), Toprac et al.
patent: 6623992 (2003-09-01), Haehn et al.
patent: 6670201 (2003-12-01), Kouno et al.
patent: 6853177 (2005-02-01), Shibayama et al.
patent: 6972703 (2005-12-01), Yen et al.
patent: 7002375 (2006-02-01), Hsu et al.
patent: 7239163 (2007-07-01), Ralston-Good et al.
patent: 7429887 (2008-09-01), Sumita et al.
patent: 7736916 (2010-06-01), Aghababazadeh et al.
patent: 2004/0113649 (2004-06-01), Berthold et al.
patent: 2006/0071702 (2006-04-01), Kase
patent: 2006/0148111 (2006-07-01), Jang
patent: 2008/0224729 (2008-09-01), Afghahi et al.
T. Kuroda et al. “A 0.9V 150 MHz 10mW 4mm2 2-D Discrete Cosine Transform Core Processor with Variable-Threshold-Voltage Scheme,” ISSCC, Feb. 1996, pp. 166-168.
M.M. Griffin et al., “A Process-Independent, 800-MB/s, DRAM Byte-Wide Interface Featuring Command Interleaving and Concurrent Memory Operation,” IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Nov. 1998, pp. 1741-1751, vol. 33, No. 11.
Chris H. Kim, “Self Calibrating Circuit Design for Variation Tolerant VLSI Systems,” Proceedings of the 11th IEEE International On-Line Testing Symposium, (IOLTS), Jul. 2005, pp. 1-6.
M. Bhushan et al., “Ring Oscillators for CMOS Process Tuning and Variability Control,” IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing, Feb. 2006, pp. 10-18, vol. 19, No. 1.
N. Jayakumar et al., “A Self-Adjusting Scheme to Determine the Optimum RBB by Monitoring Leakage Currents,” Jun. 2005, DAC, pp. 43-46, California.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Process variation on-chip sensor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Process variation on-chip sensor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process variation on-chip sensor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2703286