A Novel Design for Low-Power, High Performance and Space Efficient Address Decoder for SRAM

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Abstract: We discover the optimum decoder structure for fast low-power SRAMS. The results are ideal when the decoder is designed as a binary tree without the precoder. We find that skewed circuits with self-resetting gates work well, and we explore some basic scaling algorithms for minimal delay and power in the SRAM data path. Signal oscillations on high capacitance nodes like bit lines and data lines are decreased, resulting in low power operation. Clocked voltage sense amplifiers are required for low sensing power, and accurate construction of their sense clock is required for high-speed operation. By restricting bit line and NO line swings, we examine tracking circuits to aid in the development of the sense clock and allow timed sense amplifiers. The tracking circuits successfully use a replica memory cell and a replica bit line to track the memory cell's delay throughout a wide variety of manufacturing and operating conditions. The results of two different prototypes' experiments are reported. Finally, we investigate the speed and power development trends of SRAMs as a function of size and technology, discovering that if the connection delay is negligible, the SRAM delay grows as the logarithm of its size. Wire delay becomes increasingly important for SRAMs after the fifth generation. The wire delay worsens as the process shrinks, requiring wire redesign to keep the wire delay proportionate to the gate delay. Hierarchical SRAM topologies provide enough of array space for fat Wires and may be used to control time. Throughout the procedure, the wire delay for 4Mb and smaller designs diminishes. Keywords: SRAMs, High Performance, Delay, Clock, Decoder