research-article

Design and investigation of variability aware sense amplifier for low power, high speed SRAM

Authors:

S.K. VishvakarmaAuthors Info & Claims

Microelectronics Journal, Volume 59, Issue C

Pages 22 - 32

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mejo.2016.11.009

Published: 01 January 2017 Publication History

Abstract

Reducing the input referred offset voltage of a sense amplifier (SA) provides remarkable returns in terms of reliability and energy conservation in static random access memory (SRAMs), which consume dominating portion of total power in modern ICs. High-reliability-applications benefit significantly from a low offset SA which can operate at high speed. However, low offset SAs tend to have significant overheads in terms of area, speed and complexity. In this paper we introduce a high speed SA that employs a self correction scheme to greatly minimize its input referred offset. Minimal calibrating circuitry limits the area and energy overheads. Sensing and failure mechanisms have been described for the first time in terms of resistance states of critical paths in SA, to provide a new and more basic dimension in the analysis of the offset problem. We implemented a CMOS logic- compatible, 4 Kb SRAM macro, in commercial UMC 65nm, using the proposed SA namely, self correcting sense amplifier (SCSA). Performance analysis reveals a 60% reduction in standard deviation of input referred offset in SCSA compared to conventional current latch sense amplifier (CLSA). Compared to another modern low offset alternative, SCSA have a 78% lower sensing delay and 19% lower active power consumption resulting in 82% reduction in the power delay product.

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Cited By

Gavaskar KSivaranjani PElango SNirmal Raja G(2022)Low-Power SRAM Cell and Array Structure in Aerospace Applications: Single-Event Upset Impact AnalysisWireless Personal Communications: An International Journal10.1007/s11277-022-10084-7129:1(37-55)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s11277-022-10084-7
Tiwari SDutt AJoshi MNigam PMathew RBeohar A(2021)An investigation of a suppressed-drain cylindrical gate-all-around retrograde-doped heterospacer steep-density-film tunneling field-effect transistorJournal of Computational Electronics10.1007/s10825-021-01741-420:5(1702-1710)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10825-021-01741-4
Reniwal BVijayvargiya VSingh PYadav NVishvakarma SDwivedi D(2019)An Auto-Calibrated Sense Amplifier with Offset Prediction Approach for Energy-Efficient SRAMCircuits, Systems, and Signal Processing10.1007/s00034-018-0934-138:4(1482-1505)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s00034-018-0934-1

Design and investigation of variability aware sense amplifier for low power, high speed SRAM
1. Hardware

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Published In

cover image Microelectronics Journal

Microelectronics Journal Volume 59, Issue C

January 2017

69 pages

ISSN:0026-2692

Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © Elsevier Ltd.

Publisher

Elsevier Science Publishers B. V.

Netherlands

Publication History

Published: 01 January 2017

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Cited By

Gavaskar KSivaranjani PElango SNirmal Raja G(2022)Low-Power SRAM Cell and Array Structure in Aerospace Applications: Single-Event Upset Impact AnalysisWireless Personal Communications: An International Journal10.1007/s11277-022-10084-7129:1(37-55)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s11277-022-10084-7
Tiwari SDutt AJoshi MNigam PMathew RBeohar A(2021)An investigation of a suppressed-drain cylindrical gate-all-around retrograde-doped heterospacer steep-density-film tunneling field-effect transistorJournal of Computational Electronics10.1007/s10825-021-01741-420:5(1702-1710)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10825-021-01741-4
Reniwal BVijayvargiya VSingh PYadav NVishvakarma SDwivedi D(2019)An Auto-Calibrated Sense Amplifier with Offset Prediction Approach for Energy-Efficient SRAMCircuits, Systems, and Signal Processing10.1007/s00034-018-0934-138:4(1482-1505)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s00034-018-0934-1

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