Method for selecting natural frequency in resonant clock distribution networks with no inductor overhead
AssigneeCyclos Semiconductor, Inc.
InventorsMarios C. Papaefthymiou, Alexander Ishii
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inductor architecture for resonant clock distribution networks is described. This architecture allows for the adjustment of the natural frequency of a resonant clock distribution network, so that it achieves energy-efficient operation at multiple clock frequencies. The proposed architecture exhibits no inductor overheads. Such an architecture is generally applicable to semiconductor devices with multiple clock frequencies, and high-performance and low-power clocking requirements such as microprocessors, ASICs, and SOCs. Moreover, it is applicable to the binning of semiconductor devices according to achievable performance levels.
Claims16
A resonant clock distribution network, comprising:
- a plurality resonant clock drivers electrically coupled with a clock distribution network, each resonant clock driver including:
- an inductive element electrically coupled with a clock node of the respective resonant clock driver;
- a decoupling switch corresponding to the inductive element, wherein the inductive element of each of the plurality of resonant clock drivers is configured to be selectively enabled by the corresponding decoupling switch;
- wherein each of the plurality of resonant clock drivers are electrically coupled with each of the other plurality of clock drivers at the clock distribution network;
- and
- wherein, a natural frequency of the resonant clock distribution network is a function of a total number of inductive elements enabled in the resonant clock distribution network and the natural frequency of the resonant clock distribution network is adjusted by selecting a number of inductive elements to be enabled in the resonant clock distribution network.
A method of operation of a resonant clock distribution network, the method comprising:
- electrically coupling a plurality of resonant clock drivers with a clock distribution network, each resonant clock driver including:
- an inductive element electrically coupled with a clock node of the respective resonant clock driver;
- a decoupling switch corresponding to the inductive element, wherein the inductive element of each of the plurality of resonant clock drivers is configured to be selectively enabled by the corresponding decoupling switch;
- wherein, a natural frequency of the resonant clock distribution network is a function of a total number of inductive elements enabled in the resonant clock distribution network;
- and
- selectively adjusting the natural frequency of the resonant clock distribution network by selectively enabling a number of inductive elements in the resonant clock distribution network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.