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Variations: Sources and Characterization

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Low-Power Variation-Tolerant Design in Nanometer Silicon

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the different sources of variation which can deviate a circuit’s characteristics from its intended behavior. First we discuss the sources of process variation during manufacturing, followed by environmental variations during usage. Environmental variations include temperature, voltage fluctuations, and temporal variations. Finally, we discuss the state of art characterization circuits (or sensors) employed to understand the extent and impact of variations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IBM T.J. Watson Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA

    Aditya Bansal

  2. IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Austin, TX, USA

    Rahul M. Rao

Authors
  1. Aditya Bansal
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  2. Rahul M. Rao
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Correspondence to Aditya Bansal .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Electrical Engineering &, Computer Science, Case Western Reserve University, Euclid Avenue 10900, Cleveland, 44106-7071, Ohio, USA

    Swarup Bhunia

  2. School of Electrical &, Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Ferst Drive 266, Atlanta, 30332-0250, Georgia, USA

    Saibal Mukhopadhyay

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Bansal, A., Rao, R.M. (2011). Variations: Sources and Characterization. In: Bhunia, S., Mukhopadhyay, S. (eds) Low-Power Variation-Tolerant Design in Nanometer Silicon. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7418-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7418-1_1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-7418-1

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