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Memories for NTC

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Near Threshold Computing

Abstract

This chapter focuses on a review of state-ofthe- art memory designs and new design methods for near-threshold computing (NTC). In particular, it provides a survey of existing low voltage memory techniques and their pros and cons. It also presents new ways to design reliable low-voltage NTC memories cost-effectively by reusing available cell libraries, or by adding a digital wrapper around existing commercially available memories. The approach is validated by silicon measurement on a test chip in a 40nm low-power processing technology. Advanced monitoring, control and run-time error mitigation schemes enable the operation of these memories at the same optimal near-Vt voltage level as the digital logic. Reliability degradation is thus Overcome, which opens the path to solve the memory bottleneck in NTC systems. Starting from the available 40 nm silicon measurements, the analysis is extended to a view of the future evolution towards 14, 10 and 7 nm technology nodes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the EU FP7 Project Phidias (GA n. 318013) and IMEC’s IIAP program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Holst-Centre/imec, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Tobias Gemmeke & Jan Stuijt

  2. ESL-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Mohamed M. Sabry

  3. Imec, Leuven, Belgium

    Pieter Schuddinck, Praveen Raghavan & Francky Catthoor

Authors
  1. Tobias Gemmeke
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  2. Mohamed M. Sabry
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  3. Jan Stuijt
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  4. Pieter Schuddinck
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  5. Praveen Raghavan
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  6. Francky Catthoor
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Correspondence to Tobias Gemmeke .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Michael Hübner

  2. Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy

    Cristina Silvano

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Gemmeke, T., Sabry, M.M., Stuijt, J., Schuddinck, P., Raghavan, P., Catthoor, F. (2016). Memories for NTC. In: Hübner, M., Silvano, C. (eds) Near Threshold Computing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23389-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23389-5_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-23388-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-23389-5

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