1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to signal generators, and more particularly to the generation of forward and/or reverse body bias signals for driving circuits including one or more transistors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Adaptive body bias can be used after fabrication to improve the bin split in a microprocessor and to reduce the variation in frequency and leakage caused by process variations. In performing adaptive body bias, a unique body bias voltage is set to maximize the frequency of the processor subject to leakage and total power constraints and the type of transistor technology in use. Body bias voltages may be applied to processors and other circuits that use PMOS transistors, NMOS transistors, or both.
Two types of body bias voltages are generally used to control the frequency of a microprocessor: forward body bias (FBB) voltage and reverse body bias (RBB) voltage. If forward body bias (FBB) is used, the frequency of the processor increases along with leakage. If reverse body bias (RBB) is applied, the frequency and leakage of the processor decreases. In some circuits, both forward and reverse body bias voltages are applied in order to compensate for process variations within the die. Parts of the circuit which are too slow receive forward body bias to increase their speed, while other parts which are faster than necessary receive reverse body bias to reduce their leakage power.
The circuitry required for applying adaptive body bias can be divided into two blocks: the central bias generator (CBG) and the local bias generators (LBG). The function of the central bias generator is to generate a reference voltage which is process, voltage, and temperature independent. This voltage represents the desired body bias to apply to transistors in the microprocessor core. If both PMOS and NMOS transistors are to be biased, two central bias generators may be used each generating a different reference voltage for each transistor type. Alternatively, a single central bias generator may be used which is capable of generating the reference voltages for both transistor types.
In contrast to the central bias generator, many local bias generators may be distributed throughout a processor die. The function of the local bias generators is to translate the reference voltage from the CBG into local block supply voltages and then drive these voltages to the transistors in each respective block. The purpose of the translation is to ensure that if a local block supply voltage changes, the body bias will change at the same time so that a constant bias is maintained.
Several designs have been proposed for local bias generators. The type and complexity required depends on whether forward body bias, reverse body bias, or both will be applied. If only forward bias is applied, the local body bias generator design shown in
The design shown in
Another local bias generator design includes an operational amplifier structure in a feedback configuration. This circuit operates from a higher supply voltage than the local block VCC and is able to apply any bias value from forward body bias to reverse body bias. Tracking with the local VCC is automatically performed through the feedback structure. While this circuit does not have all the drawbacks of the design shown in
Referring to
The central bias generator unit performs the function of generating reference and bias voltages which are used in deriving local biasing voltages for each of the functional blocks. These voltages are preferably generated in a manner which is process, voltage, and temperature independent.
Structurally, the central bias generator may be any type known and is preferably configured to generate one or more reference and body bias voltages based on the requirements of the intended application of the chip or host system and the type of transistor technology used in the local functional blocks. If both PMOS and NMOS transistors are included in the local functional blocks, then unit 10 may include two central bias generators each generating a separate reference voltage for the PMOS and NMOS transistors. Alternatively, one central bias generator capable of generating separate reference voltages for the transistor types may be used. In terms of relative placement, the central bias generator unit may be located on the same chip as the local bias generators or the CBG may be located off-chip.
In operation, the output of the variable resistor sets the bias voltage VBias generated by the CBG unit. As this resistance changes, the bias voltage changes relative to the fixed reference voltage. The bias and reference voltages are then output to the local bias generators as shown in
The local bias generator unit includes one or more local bias generators, each of which includes a single-stage circuit which operates to ensure that a constant bias is supplied to a respective one of the local functional blocks (LFBs). This constant bias is supplied by adjusting the output of each single-stage circuit to follow variations in the supply voltage of a corresponding one of the local functional blocks.
Each local functional block is powered by a respective supply voltage VCC1 through VCCN, where N equals the number of functional blocks. These supply voltages are input into corresponding ones of the local bias generators along a signal line 50, which is connected to the source of transistor 31. A node 60 outputs a bias voltage VBP which has been advantageously adjusted to track any change in the local supply voltage VCC input along signal line 50. The single-stage source-follower thus may be said to provide adaptive body bias because it constantly adjusts bias voltage VBP to track variations in VCC.
The local bias generator employs two techniques to improve tracking and reduce complexity over other LBG circuits which have been proposed. The first technique involves performing a level-shifting function with respect to the output of the central bias generator unit. The second technique involves matching the transistors in the local bias generator. Both techniques are described in greater detail in the discussion which follows.
The first technique involves designing each local bias generator so that it shifts the level of the bias voltage VBias output from the central bias unit. This shifting (or level-translation) function is an inherent function of the single-stage source-follower circuit, i.e., the single-stage circuit shifts the output voltage of the generator relative to its input voltage. The amount VBP is shifted is proportional to changes that occur in supply voltage VCC input into a corresponding local functional block. The changes in VCC are measured relative to the reference voltage VREF output from the central bias generator. The local bias generator therefore shifts the input bias voltage VBias by an amount equal to a difference between VCC and VREF. This may be illustrated as follows.
Consider the case where the input bias voltage VBias is 0.4 V. If VCC is 1.2 V and VREF is 0.9 V, the difference is 0.3V. The local bias generator operates to translate the input bias voltage by 0.3 V, thereby making the output bias voltage VBP equal to 0.7 V. The local bias generator thus automatically shifts the output bias voltage to follow changes in a corresponding LFB supply voltage. This function is accomplished using a much simpler design than other proposed circuits such as shown in
The second technique involves making both transistors in the single source-follower stage identical in size in terms of their channel widths and channel lengths. By matching these characteristics, both transistors will have the same or substantially the same current flowing through them, assuming the load current is much smaller than the bias current in the source-follower. (The load current is defined by the circuit connected to the output bias voltage VBP, which, for example, a corresponding one of the local functional blocks. The output bias voltage may go to the body connections (e.g,. the N-wells) of the PMOS transistors in the block. The current in this connection is typically very low unless a large amount of forward body bias is applied. As the forward body bias increases, the diodes formed by the source/drain of the PMOS transistors and the body can become forward-biased. This will cause current to flow from VCC, out of the body, and through the local bias generator in the terminal VBP. Preferably, the local bias generator is constructed so that this current is small compared with the static current flowing from VCC, through the matched transistors in the LBG, to ground.) Because the transistors in the source-follower are matched and thus have the same current flowing through them, the gate-to-source voltages VGS1 and VGS2 of these transistors are the same. As a result, any variation in local supply voltage VCC will cause the gate-to-source voltage of transistor 30 to change by the same amount (since the reference voltage VREF output from the central bias generator is constant). This causes a corresponding change in the gate-to-source voltage of transistor 40, which changes the output bias voltage VBP by the same amount.
By matching the transistors in the single-stage source-follower and then operating them so that they remain in saturation, the output bias voltage VBP will track any variations in the local reference voltage VCC without requiring, for example, use of a current mirror stage or a second source-follower stage as shown in the circuit of
Also, an improvement in the operating range of the generator over other proposed techniques is possible. This improvement in range is at least directly attributable the reduction in the number of source-follower stages in the local bias generator. This performance enhancement can be seen in comparison with the circuit of
The changes in VCC in the graph of
A bias generator in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention includes a central bias generator and one or more local bias generators, the latter of which may be coupled to one or more circuits local functional blocks. The central bias generator and local functional blocks may be the same ones used in the first embodiment as shown in
The NMOS transistors may be arranged to have a dual-well configuration (evident from arrows 150 and 160) in which both transistors share the same substrate. In this configuration, it is not possible to locally tie the transistor body to the source. As a result, for the NMOS bias implementation of
A bias generator in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention includes a central bias generator and one or more local bias generators, the latter of which may be coupled to one or more circuits local functional blocks. The central bias generator and local functional blocks may be the same ones used in the first embodiment as shown in
In the foregoing embodiments, the local bias generator provides forward body bias to one or more local functional blocks. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that, if desired, the local bias generator may be designed to provide reverse body bias or both forward and reverse body bias if the functional blocks and/or application requirements so require.
The local functional blocks include groups of circuitry (on one or more IC dies) designed to impart a certain logic or mixed signal (analog/digital) functionality to the electrical system embodied within or including generator units. The blocks may be manufactured, for example, using an entirely MOS process in which all of the active devices are FETs, a Bipolar-MOS process in which other transistors in addition to FETs are also provided. The MOS process may involve the use of only PMOS or NMOS transistors, or a CMOS process may be implemented in which both transistor types are used. In general, there is some flexibility in the physical placement of the CBG, LBGs, and FUBs. In most advanced CMOS ICs, however, all three components are most likely to be formed on the same IC die for lower cost and better performance. In
The functional unit blocks may, for example, include any one or more of the following types of circuits: adders, multipliers, register files, cache memory blocks, control logic, analog blocks such as phase-locked loops, clock generators, and sense amplifiers to name a few, as well as any other type of circuit that may be included in a local functional block on a circuit die.
In the foregoing embodiments, the term “central” is used in connection with the central bias generator only in the sense that an output of the CBG may be distributed to provide forward or reverse body bias, or both, via one or more of the local bias generators, to a number of transistors in the local functional block(s).
One or more of the foregoing embodiments of the bias generator of the present invention outperforms other bias generators which have been proposed in a number of ways. For example, other bias generators cannot track a reference voltage over a sufficiently large operating range. In contrast, the embodiments presented herein have ability to closely track, for example, changes in block supply voltage down to small bias values. This improved performance may be attributed, in at least one respect, to the use of a single-stage source-follower circuit which, for example, demonstrates better tracking than the two-stage source-follower design shown in
Another difference lies in power and chip-area requirements. The bias generator of
As process variations increase, these improvements in providing adaptive body bias become an effective way of increasing the number of high-bin parts and recovering parts that fail FMAX or ISB (leakage) constraints. In order to efficiently implement adaptive body bias, local bias generators are needed which do not consume significant chip area or power, while simultaneously achieving an improved level of performance. The one or more embodiments of the bias generator of the present invention provide all of these advantages while avoiding the disadvantages of other bias generators which have been proposed. This makes applying body bias faster and more efficient to implement and thus highly desirable from a chip designers standpoint.
Also, in one or more of the foregoing embodiments, the central bias generator may direclty output a shifted version of the reference voltage, so when it is shifted again by the source-follower the levels are correct. This is one reason why a two-stage follower circuit is not required, which may be understood as follows.
In a conventional central bias generator the reference voltage is usually the same as the local block ground or VCC, and the bias voltage is the same as the final desired body voltage. For example, assume PMOS body bias where VCC is 1.2V. In a conventional CBG implementation, the reference voltage would be 1.2V and the bias voltage would range from 1.2 V (ZBB) to 0.7V (500 m V FBB). The conventioal local bias generator would then translate this to the local block VCC using a two-stage source follower, and the final body voltage would again be 1.2V to 0.7V.
In one or more embodiments of the present invention, however, the reference voltage may be shifted from VCC. In the above example, the reference voltage would be 0.9 V and the bias voltage would lie in a range from 0.9V to 0.4V. The local bias generator then shifts this up to the final value of 0.7V to 1.2V. So, the CBG output in these embodiments may be considered to be “pre-shifted” so that the local bias generator shifts it back to the appropriate level.
Other modifications and variations of the foregoing embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure. Thus, while only certain embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent that numerous modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.