Abstract
A multi-stage dual replica bit-line delay (MDRBD) technique is proposed for reducing access time by suppressing the sense-amplifier enable (SAE) timing variation of low voltage static random-access memory (SRAM) applications. Compared with the traditional technique, this strategy, using statistical theory, reduces the timing variation by using multi-stage ideas, meanwhile doubling the replica bit-line (RBL) capacitance and discharge path simultaneously in each stage. At a supply voltage of 0.6 V, the simulation results show that the standard deviations of the SAE timing and cycle time with the proposed technique are 69.2% and 47.2%, respectively, smaller than that with a conventional RBL delay technique in TSMC 65 nm CMOS technology (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Taiwan).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amrutur, B.S., Horowitz, M.A., 1998. A replica technique for wordline and sense control in low-power SRAM’s. IEEE J. Sol.-State Circ., 33(8):1208–1219. [doi:10.1109/4.705359]
Arandilla, C.D.C., Madamba, J.A.R., 2011. Comparison of replica bitline technique and chain delay technique as read timing control for low-power asynchronous SRAM. Proc. 5th Asia Modelling Symp., p.275–278. [doi:10.1109/AMS.2011.58]
Arslan, U., McCartney, M.P., Bhargava, M., et al., 2008. Variation-tolerant SRAM sense-amplifier timing using configurable replica bitlines. Proc. IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conf., p.415–418. [doi:10.1109/CICC.2008.4672108]
Chang, I.J., Mohapatra, D., Roy, K., 2011. A priority-based 6T/8T hybrid SRAM architecture for aggressive voltage scaling in video applications. IEEE Trans. Circ. Syst. Video Technol., 21(2):101–112. [doi:10.1109/TCSVT.2011.2105550]
Gammie, G., Ickes, N., Sinangil, M.E., et al., 2011. A 28 nm 0.6 V low-power DSP for mobile applications. Proc. IEEE Int. Solid-State Circuits Conf., p.132–134. [doi:10.1109/ISSCC.2011.5746251]
Johnson, J.B., Hook, T.B., Lee, Y.M., 2008. Analysis and modeling of threshold voltage mismatch for CMOS at 65 nm and beyond. IEEE Electr. Dev. Lett., 29(7): 802–804. [doi:10.1109/LED.2008.2000649]
Kawasumi, A., Takeyama, Y., Hirabayashi, O., et al., 2012. Energy efficiency deterioration by variability in SRAM and circuit techniques for energy saving without voltage reduction. Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on IC Design & Technology, p.1–4. [doi:10.1109/ICICDT.2012.6232859]
Keyes, R.W., 1975. Effect of randomness in the distribution of impurity ions on FET thresholds in integrated electronics. IEEE J. Sol.-State Circ., 10(4): 245–247. [doi:10.1109/JSSC.1975.1050600]
Komatsu, S., Yamaoka, M., Morimoto, M., et al., 2009. A 40-nm low-power SRAM with multi-stage replicabitline technique for reducing timing variation. Proc. IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conf., p.701–704. [doi:10.1109/CICC.2009.5280731]
Li, Y., Wen, L., Zhang, Y., et al., 2014. An area-efficient dual replica-bitline delay technique for process-variationtolerant low voltage SRAM sense amplifier timing. IEICE Electron. Expr., 11(3): 1–6. [doi:10.1587/elex.11.20130992]
Lovett, S.J., Gibbs, G.A., Pancholy, A., 2000. Yield and matching implications for static RAM memory array sense-amplifier design. IEEE J. Sol.-State Circ., 35(8):1200–1204. [doi:10.1109/4.859510]
Niki, Y., Kawasumi, A., Suzuki, A., et al., 2010. A digitized replica bitline delay technique for random-variationtolerant timing generation of SRAM sense amplifiers. Proc. IEEE Asian Solid State Circuits Conf., p.1–4. [doi:10.1109/ASSCC.2010.5716633]
Niki, Y., Kawasumi, A., Suzuki, A., et al., 2011. A digitized replica bitline delay technique for randomvariation-tolerant timing generation of SRAM sense amplifiers. IEEE J. Sol.-State Circ., 46(11): 2545–2551. [doi:10.1109/JSSC.2011.2164294]
Osada, K., Shin, J., Khan, M., et al., 2001. Universal-VDD 0.65-2.0 V 32 KB cache using voltage-adapted timinggeneration scheme and a lithographical-symmetric cell. Proc. IEEE Int. Solid-State Circuits Conf., p.168–169. [doi:10.1109/ISSCC.2001.912589]
Pelgrom, M.J.M., Duinmaijer, A.C.J., Welbers, A.P.G., 1989. Matching properties of MOS transistors. IEEE J. Sol.-State Circ., 24(5): 1433–1439. [doi:10.1109/ JSSC.1989.572629]
Song, T., Lee, S.M., Choi, J., et al., 2010. A robust latch-type sense amplifier using adaptive latch resistance. Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on IC Design and Technology, p. 182–185. [doi:10.1109/ICICDT.2010.5510258]
Wu, J., Zhu, J., Xia, Y., et al., 2014. A multiple-stage parallel replica-bitline delay addition technique for reducing timing variation of SRAM sense amplifiers. IEEE Trans. Circ. Syst. II, 61(4): 264–268. [doi:10.1109/TCSII.2014.2304893]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61474001)
ORCID: Chun-yu PENG, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2408-5048
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tan, Sb., Lu, Wj., Peng, Cy. et al. Multi-stage dual replica bit-line delay technique for process-variation-robust timing of low voltage SRAM sense amplifier. Frontiers Inf Technol Electronic Eng 16, 700–706 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1631/FITEE.1400439
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/FITEE.1400439