Fine grain voltage scaling of back biasing
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a substrate;
a plurality of devices, each of said plurality of devices having a body connection electrically coupled to said substrate, wherein said plurality of devices includes at least one high threshold voltage device and at least one low threshold voltage device; and
a plurality of voltage control devices distributed across said substrate to bias different locations of the same layer of the substrate at different bias voltages, respectively, wherein each of said plurality of voltage control devices has an output electrically coupled to said substrate and is configured to apply a back bias voltage to said substrate at one of a plurality of discrete offset voltage levels relative to a reference supply voltage level;
wherein said plurality of discrete offset voltage levels includes a first offset voltage level for back biasing said at least one high threshold voltage device and a second offset voltage level for back biasing said at least one low threshold voltage device.
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Abstract
An integrated circuit including a substrate, multiple devices, and voltage control devices. The devices may include high threshold, low threshold, and standard threshold voltage devices. The devices and the voltage control devices are distributed across and coupled to the same substrate. Each voltage control device is configured to apply a back bias voltage at one of multiple discrete offset voltage levels. At least one voltage control device applies a first offset voltage level for back biasing high threshold voltage devices and at least one voltage control device applies a second offset voltage level for back biasing low threshold voltage devices. The selection of back biasing is based on relative population density of the different types of devices and varies across the substrate. Fine grain reverse back biasing reduces leakage current while reducing any performance decrease. Fine grain forward back biasing improves performance while reducing any leakage current increase.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a substrate; a plurality of devices, each of said plurality of devices having a body connection electrically coupled to said substrate, wherein said plurality of devices includes at least one high threshold voltage device and at least one low threshold voltage device; and a plurality of voltage control devices distributed across said substrate to bias different locations of the same layer of the substrate at different bias voltages, respectively, wherein each of said plurality of voltage control devices has an output electrically coupled to said substrate and is configured to apply a back bias voltage to said substrate at one of a plurality of discrete offset voltage levels relative to a reference supply voltage level; wherein said plurality of discrete offset voltage levels includes a first offset voltage level for back biasing said at least one high threshold voltage device and a second offset voltage level for back biasing said at least one low threshold voltage device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification