Integrated Circuits

Lowering Supply Voltage Enables Higher Performance Reducing the supply voltage (VDD) allows integrated circuits to operate at faster speeds thanks to proportional reductions in threshold voltage (Vt). However, lower VDD also leads to increased subthreshold leakage. Optimizing this tradeoff has driven consistent decreases in VDD with each CMOS process generation, providing remarkable boosts in computation…

Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are integral components in modern integrated circuit design. However, alongside their intended operation, MOSFETs also contain unintended parasitic components that can lead to detrimental effects if not properly addressed. This article provides an in-depth examination of three key parasitic components in MOSFETs: latchup, parasitic bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), and other latent…

Why MOSFET Source and Drain Connections are Asymmetric Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are fundamental building blocks of modern digital integrated circuits. A key property of MOSFET devices is the asymmetry between the source and drain terminals, which enables unidirectional current flow necessary for switching operations. This article provides an in-depth examination of the physics and…

Lowering Static Power Drain Static power drainage can account for over 50% of total power consumption in bidirectional voltage translation circuits. By carefully selecting low-power transistor architectures and utilizing sleep modes, static power can be dramatically reduced. Using low-power transistor architectures Power-optimized CMOS processes offer transistor variants with lower leakage compared to standard cells. For…

Defining Minority Carriers and Recombination Minority carriers are vital for operation of bipolar transistors. These are electrons in the p-type region and holes in the n-type region of a semiconductor device. Minority carriers are present in low concentrations because they are formed due to thermal generation. They play a key role in various processes like…

Defining ASICs and Their Uses Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are integrated circuits (ICs) customized for a particular use or application rather than intended for general-purpose use. Compared to off-the-shelf ICs, ASICs provide superior performance, lower power consumption, and reduced costs in high-volume production. The key advantage of an ASIC is that it is customized to…

As electronic systems grow more complex, seamlessly communicating across different voltage domains becomes increasingly important. Integrated circuits with built-in bidirectional translation capabilities can greatly simplify mixed-voltage interface design. Enabling Seamless Communication Across Different Voltage Domains With proliferating power domains in today’s electronics, seamless voltage translation enables critical system connectivity. Careful interface design is necessary for…

The body effect refers to the variation in the threshold voltage of a MOSFET transistor due to changes in the source-to-bulk voltage. As this voltage changes, it modifies the transistor’s threshold voltage, which impacts the overall performance and behavior of the MOSFET. Defining Body Effect The body effect originates from the physics of a MOSFET…

Defining Saturation in BJTs In bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), saturation refers to the state when the collector-emitter voltage (VCE) drops to a minimum value and the collector current (IC) reaches a maximum limit. This happens when the base current (IB) increases past a certain point, causing the base-collector junction to become forward biased. Specifically, saturation…

Understanding MOSFET Asymmetry Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are fundamental building blocks of modern integrated circuits. However, inherent asymmetry in the structure and operation of MOSFET devices can lead to significant variability in transistor characteristics. Defining asymmetry in MOSFETs Asymmetry refers to a lack of symmetry in the current-voltage characteristics between the drain and source terminals…