CHAPTER 14 CMOS DIGITAL LOGIC CIRCUITS
Chapter Outline14.1 Digital Logic Inverters14.2 The CMOS Inverter14.3 Dynamic Operation of the CMOS Inverter14.4 CMOS Logic-Gate Circuits14.5 Implications of Technology Scaling: Issues in Deep-Submicron Design
NTUEE Electronics III 14-1
14.1 DIGITAL LOGIC INVERTERS
The Voltage-Transfer Characteristic (VTC) The function of the inverter is to invert the logic value of its input signal The voltage-transfer characteristic is used to evaluate the quality of inverter operation
NTUEE Electronics III 14-2
VTC parameters VOH: output high level VOL: output low level VIH: the minimum value of input interpreted by the inverter as a logic 1 VIL: the maximum value of input interpreted by the inverter as a logic 0 Transition region: input level between VIL and VIH
Noise Margins The VTC is generally non-linear VIH and VIL are defined as the points at which the slope of the VTC is 1 Robustness (noise margin at a high level): NMH = VOH VIH Robustness (noise margin at a low level): NML = VIL VOL Static inverter characteristics for ideal VTC:
VOH = VDD VOL = 0 VIH = VIL = VDD/2 NMH = NML = VDD/2
NTUEE Electronics III 14-3
NMH NML VDD/2
Ideal VTC
Power Dissipation Static power dissipation: power dissipated when the inverter stays in logic 0 or logic 1 Dynamic power dissipation: power dissipated as the output is switching
Propagation Delay tPHL : high-to-low propagation delay tPLH : low-to-high propagation delay tP (propagation delay) = ( tPLH + tPHL )/2 Maximum switching frequency fmax = 1/2tP The output transient of the inverter can be characterized by a RC charge/discharge model
2 DDD CVfP
NTUEE Electronics III 14-4
The output transient of the inverter can be characterized by a RC charge/discharge modelRCt
O eVVVtv/
0 )()(
Power-Delay Product and Energy-Delay Product Power and delay are often in conflict for inverter operation Power-delay product is a figure-of-merit for comparing logic-circuit technologies or families Power-delay product is defined as Energy-delay product is defined as
Silicon Area Area reduction through advances in processing technology Area reduction through advances in circuit design techniques Area reduction through careful chip layout
2/ 2DDPD CVtPPDP 2/ 2 PDDtCVEDP
NTUEE Electronics III 14-5
Fan-In and Fan-Out Fan-in of a gate is the number of its inputs Fan-out is the maximum number of similar gates that a gate can drive
Logic-Circuit Families
Inverter Implementation Simplest implementation of the inverter with a MOSFET and a load
Inverter implementation with complementary switches
NTUEE Electronics III 14-6
Inverter implementation with a double-throw switch
14.2 THE CMOS INVERTER
Circuit Operation A CMOS inverter consists of an n-channel and a p-channel MOSFET The n-channel device turns on and the p-channel device turns off as the input level goes high The p-channel device turns on and the n-channel device turns off as the input level goes low The turn-on device is modeled by a resistance: VOH = VDD and VOL = 0 for any CMOS inverter
1' )(/ tnDDnnDSN VVLWkr 1' |)|(/ tpDDppDSP VVLWkrand
NTUEE Electronics III 14-7
The Voltage-Transfer Characteristic The transistors go through five different operation regions as the input goes from 0 to VDD The operating point is obtained by making iDN = iDP
Region I: (QN off; QP tri.) Region II: (QN sat.; QP tri.) Region III: (QN sat; QP sat) Region IV: (QN tri.; QP sat.) Region V: (Q tri ; Q off)
DPDN ii )0(
22 )(21)|)(|()(
21
ODDODDtpIDDpDPtnInDN vVvVVvVkiVvki
22 |)|(21)(
21
tpIDDpDPtnInDN VvVkiVvki 22 |)|(
21
21)( tpIDDpDPOOtnInDN VvVkivvVvki
)0( ii
NTUEE Electronics III 14-8
Region V: (QN tri.; QP off) )0( DPDN ii
vO
iD
vO
iD
vO
iD
vO
iD
vO
iD
Region I Region II
Region III Region IV Region V
Static Characteristics of the CMOS Inverter Ratioless logic: VOH and VOL are independent of ratio of the transistors
VOH = VDD VOL = 0
Static power dissipation is zero for both states Noise margins can be determined by the VTC The switching voltage (when vI = vO) is defined by
where
VM increases (VTC shifts) with r1
)|(
r
VVVrV tntpDDM
nn
pp
n
p
LWLW
kk
r)/()/(
NTUEE Electronics III 14-9
VM increases (VTC shifts) with r NML increases and NMH decreases as r increases NML decreases and NMH increases as r decreases
The Matched Inverter A matched inverter has equivalent pull-up and pull-down device with kn = kp and Vtn = |Vtp| = Vt The VTC is symmetric Determine VIL from the VTC in Region II:
Determine VIH from the VTC in Region IV:
22 )(21))(()(
21
ODDODDtIDDtI vVvVVvVVv
I
OODD
I
OtIDDODDtI dv
dvvVdvdvVvVvVVv )()()(
)23(81
tDDIL VVV
NTUEE Electronics III 14-10
Determine VIH from the VTC in Region IV:
Noise margins: NMH = NML = (3VDD + 2Vt)/8 Switching voltage: VM = VDD/2
22 )(21
21)( tIDDOotI VvVvvVv
)()( tIDDI
OO
I
OtIO VvVdv
dvvdvdvVvv
)25(81
tDDIH VVV
14.3 DYNAMIC OPERATION OF THE CMOS INVERTER
Determining the Propagation Delay Evaluated by charging/discharge the output capacitor C through QP and QN Average current method:
tPHL:
)()(21 MiEiI DNDNav
2)(21)( tnDDnDN VVkEi
2
221
2)()( DDDDtnDDnDN
VVVVkMi
CCV
NTUEE Electronics III 14-11
tPLH:
Propagation delay: tP = (tPHL+tPLH)/2
DDn
n
av
DDPHL Vk
CI
CVt 2
where
223
47/2
DD
tn
DD
tnn V
VVV
DDp
p
av
DDPLH Vk
CI
CVt
2
where
2
2||347/2
DD
tp
DD
tpn V
VVV
An alternative approach: Modeling the turn-on device as a resistance Use RC charge/discharge behavior to evaluate the propagation delay The empirical values of the resistors are given by
tPHL= 0.69RNC tPLH= 0.69RPC
)()/(
5.12 kLW
Rn
N )()/(30 kLW
Rp
Pand
NTUEE Electronics III 14-12
Determining the Equivalent Load Capacitance Components accountable for the equivalent load capacitance
Transistor parasitic capacitances Wiring capacitance or interconnect capacitance Input capacitance of the following stages
NTUEE Electronics III 14-13
wggdbdbgdgd CCCCCCCC 432121 22
Inverter Sizing Minimum length permitted by the technology is usually used as the length for all channels Device aspect ratio (W/L)n is usually selected in the range 1 to 1.5 The selection of (W/L)n is relative to (W/L)n
Matched inverter by (W/L)p : (W/L)n = n: p (W/L)p = (W/L)n: minimum area, small propagation delay (W/L)p = 2(W/L)n: a frequently used compromise
Transistor sizing (aspect ratios are increased by a factor of S) versus propagation delay Load capacitance:
extext CSCCCC 0intint
NTUEE Electronics III 14-14
Equivalent resistance:
Propagation delay:Dynamic Power Dissipation Dynamic power dissipation:
Peak current:
SR
SR
SRR eqPNeq
0)(21
exteqeqexteqP CRSCRCSCSR
t 00int00int0 169.0)(69.0
2DDD fCVP
2
221
tnDDnpeak VVkI
14.4 CMOS LOGIC-GATE CIRCUITS
CMOS Logic-Gate Structure
Implementation of PDN
Implementation of PUN
NTUEE Electronics III 14-15
The PDN can be most directly synthesized by expressing . The PUN can be most directly synthesized by expressing . The PDN can be obtained from the PUN (and vice versa) using duality property. However, duality of the PDN and PUN is not a necessary condition.
YY
Transistor Sizing The (W/L) ratios are chosen for a worst-case gate delay equal to
that of the basic inverter The derivation of equivalent (W/L) ratio is based on the equivalent
resistance of the transistors
1
21
...)/(
1)/(
1)/(Connection Series
LWLW
LW eq1)/( LWrDS
...)/()/()/(Connection Parallel 21 LWLWLW eq
NTUEE Electronics III 14-16
Effects of Fan-In and Fan-Out Each additional input to a CMOS gate requires two additional transistors Increases the chip area and the propagation delay due to excess capacitive loading The number of NAND gate is typically limited to 4 Redesign the logic design may be required for a higher number of inputs Advantages of using CMOS logic: static power dissipation, ratioless design, noise margin Disadvantage of using CMOS logic: area, complexity, capacitive loading, propagation delay
Examples for CMOS Logic Gates
NTUEE Electronics III 14-17
14.5 IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY SCALING
Moores Law A new technology is developed for every 2~3 years due to cost and speed requirement The trend was predicted more than 40 years ago by Gordon Moore For every new technology generation:
The minimum length is reduced by a factor of 1.414 and the area is reduced by a factor of 2 The cost is reduced by half or the circuit complexity is doubled Device scaling generally decreases the parasitics and enhances the operating speed The operating power is reduced
The current technology node advances into deep-submicron Issues in deep-submicron technologies have to be taken into account for circuit designs
NTUEE Electronics III 14-18
Issues in deep submicron technologies have to be taken into account for circuit designs
Scaling Implications
NTUEE Electronics III 14-19
Velocity Saturation Long-channel devices:
Drift velocity: vn = nE Electric field in the channel: E = vDS/L
Short-channel devices: Velocity saturates at a critical field Ecr with vsat 107 cm/s The vDS at which velocity saturates is denoted by VDSsat VDSsat = EcrL = vsatL/n VDSsat is a device parameter
The I V Characteristics
NTUEE Electronics III 14-20
The I-V Characteristics Long-channel devices
Saturation current: Short-channel devices
For VGS-Vt < VDSsat: same as long-channel devices For VGS-Vt > VDSsat:
2)(21
tGSoxnD VVLWCi
221)( DSsatDSsattGSoxnDsat VVVVL
WCI
DSsattGSsatox VVVvWC 21
Current Equation for Velocity Saturation For vGS-Vt VDSsat and vDS VDSsat, the drain current is given by
The current is reduced from the predication of a long-channel device The dependence on vGS is more linear rather than quadratic
Four regions of operation: cutoff, triode, saturation and velocity saturation Short-channel PMOS transistors undergo velocity saturation at the same value of vsat The effects on PMOS are less pronounced due to lower mobility and higher VDSsat
)1(21
DSDSsattGSDSsatoxnD VVVvVLWCi
NTUEE Electronics III 14-21
Subthreshold Conduction The device is not complete off in deep-submicron devices as vGS < Vt The subthreshold current is exponentially proportional to vGS: iD = Isexp(vGS/nVT) It is a problem in digital IC design for two reasons:
Such current leads to nonzero static power dissipation for CMOS logics May cause undesirable discharge of capacitors in dynamic CMOS logics
The Interconnect The width of the interconnect scales down with the CMOS technology The metal wire is no longer an ideal short
Series parasitic resistance may cause undesirable voltage drop and excess delay
NTUEE Electronics III 14-22
Series parasitic resistance may cause undesirable voltage drop and excess delay Parasitic capacitance to ground may lead to speed degradation and additional dynamic power