A Highly Efficient Conditional Feedthrough Pulsed Flip-Flop for High-Speed Applications

Abstract

A novel type of highly efficient conditional feedthrough pulse-triggered flip-flop (P-FF) is proposed and demonstrated. The data-to-output (D-to-Q) delay in this circuit was highly optimized using predischarging and conditional signal feedthrough schemes. Power consumption was also reduced using a shared pulse generator and an output feedback-controlled conditional keeper, which diminished the floating status of the internal node. The driving strength of this design was further enhanced by including an additional pull-down path at the output node. Various postlayout simulation results applied to 16-nm FinFET technology demonstrated a higher energy efficiency (at all input data toggle rates) for the proposed topology than comparable P-FF devices. Notably, the proposed model achieved a 62% D-to-Q delay reduction, compared to a transmission gate FF, outperforming the device by more than 66% in terms of power efficiency and 87% in energy efficiency (at a 50% input data toggle rate). Improvements were even more significant in comparison with other conventional P-FFs. These results suggest the proposed design to be a viable new option for high-efficiency sequential elements in high-speed applications.