TY - GEN
T1 - High speed robust current sense amplifier for nanoscale memories:- A winner take all approach
AU - Sundaram, Srikanth
AU - Elakkumanan, Praveen
AU - Sridhar, Ramalingam
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - The design of fast, low power and robust sense amplifier circuits is a challenge for nanoscale SRAMs due to the increasing bitline capacitance and process variations. Current sensing in SRAMs is promising to achieve high-speed operation in low-voltage application. In this paper, we propose a process variation tolerant, high performance and scalable current sense amplifier that uses a Winner Take All (WTA) approach for nanoscale SRAMs. Simulation of worst-case threshold voltage mismatch on our WTA sense amplifier shows that it could tolerate upto 10% variation in the threshold voltage, which is expected within die in a 70nm process. Detailed analysis of variation in the effective channel length (L eff) and supply voltage variation are also presented. A comparison of the sensing delay and energy consumption in 70nm technology shows that our WTA sense amplifier provides around 70-80% improvement in the sensing speed and consumes 28-70% less energy than the traditional voltage mode and current sense amplifiers.
AB - The design of fast, low power and robust sense amplifier circuits is a challenge for nanoscale SRAMs due to the increasing bitline capacitance and process variations. Current sensing in SRAMs is promising to achieve high-speed operation in low-voltage application. In this paper, we propose a process variation tolerant, high performance and scalable current sense amplifier that uses a Winner Take All (WTA) approach for nanoscale SRAMs. Simulation of worst-case threshold voltage mismatch on our WTA sense amplifier shows that it could tolerate upto 10% variation in the threshold voltage, which is expected within die in a 70nm process. Detailed analysis of variation in the effective channel length (L eff) and supply voltage variation are also presented. A comparison of the sensing delay and energy consumption in 70nm technology shows that our WTA sense amplifier provides around 70-80% improvement in the sensing speed and consumes 28-70% less energy than the traditional voltage mode and current sense amplifiers.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/33748551720
U2 - 10.1109/VLSID.2006.98
DO - 10.1109/VLSID.2006.98
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:33748551720
SN - 0769525024
SN - 9780769525020
T3 - Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on VLSI Design
SP - 569
EP - 574
BT - Proceedings - 19th International Conference on VLSI Design held jointly with 5th International Conference on Embedded Systems Design
T2 - 19th International Conference on VLSI Design held jointly with 5th International Conference on Embedded Systems Design
Y2 - 3 January 2006 through 7 January 2006
ER -