Abstract
We have proposed a current mirror-based level shifter (LS) with a logic error detection (CMLS-LED), which is capable of converting a near-threshold signal to a super-threshold signal. The proposed CMLS-LED resolves the current contention problem observed in the conventional cross-coupled pFET-based LS (CPLS) by using the current mirror and removes the static current in the conventional current mirror LS with adopting the feedback pFET controlled by the output node. Compared with Wilson's current mirror-based LS (WCMLS), CMLS-LED offers an enhanced speed by avoiding the threshold voltage drop of the feedback pFET and is free from the stability issue due to an incomplete output swing. Measurement results obtained from the test chip fabricated with 14-nm finFET technology, in which CMLS-LED is implemented with WCMLS, CPLS, and Osaki's LS, shows that the proposed CMLS-LED can widen the operating voltage range by 200 mV compared wth the CPLS, along with a speed improvement of 80%, when compared to WCMLS.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 9169669 |
Pages (from-to) | 554-565 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 Feb |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Manuscript received March 15, 2020; revised June 3, 2020 and July 15, 2020; accepted July 28, 2020. Date of publication August 17, 2020; date of current version January 28, 2021. This article was approved by Associate Editor Dennis Sylvester. This work was supported in part by the Research Resettlement Fund for the new faculty of Kwangwoon University in 2019 and in part by Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd., Device Solution (Variation-Aware SRAM Design Techniques for Low-Power Applications, 2015–2020). (Corresponding author: Seong-Ook Jung.) Hanwool Jeong is with the Department of Electronic Engineering, Kwang-woon University, Seoul 01897, South Korea.
Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by the Research Resettlement Fund for the new faculty of Kwangwoon University in 2019 and in part by Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd., Device Solution (Variation-Aware SRAM Design Techniques for Low-Power Applications, 2015-2020).
Publisher Copyright:
© 1966-2012 IEEE.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering