Method, circuit library and computer program product for implementing enhanced performance and reduced leakage current for ASIC designs
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorTerry C. Coughlin, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designs having high performance and reduced leakage current. Standard voltage threshold (SVT) circuits in a SVT circuit library are identified. For each SVT circuit, each SVT PFET is replaced with a low voltage threshold (LVT) PFET to provide a hybrid alternate voltage threshold (AVT) circuit. Then the AVT circuits are saved in an alternate voltage threshold circuit library. The AVT circuit library provides enhanced performance as compared to the SVT circuit library without the high leakage current resulting from a LVT circuit library.
Claims9
A method for implementing enhanced performance and reduced leakage current for application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designs comprising the steps of:
- identifying standard voltage threshold (SVT) circuits in a circuit library;
- for each SVT circuit, replacing each SVT P-channel field effect transistor (PFET) with a low voltage threshold (LVT) PFET and maintaining each N-channel field effect transistor (NFET) having a standard voltage threshold (SVT) to provide a hybrid alternate voltage threshold (AVT) circuit;
- and
- saving each said AVT circuit in an alternate circuit library.
An alternate voltage threshold (AVT) circuit library comprising:
- a plurality of hybrid AVT circuits, each said hybrid AVT circuit including a plurality of P-channel field effect transistors (PFETs) and a plurality of N-channel field effect transistors (NFETs);
- each P-channel field effect transistor (PFET) having a low voltage threshold (LVT);
- and
- each N-channel field effect transistor (NFET) having a standard voltage threshold (SVT).
A computer program product for implementing enhanced performance and reduced leakage current for application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designs in a computer system, said computer program product including instructions executed by the computer system to cause the computer system to perform the steps of:
- identifying standard voltage threshold (SVT) circuits in a circuit library;
- for each SVT circuit, replacing each SVT P-channel field effect transistor (PFET) with a low voltage threshold (LVT) PFET and maintaining each N-channel field effect transistor (NFET) having a standard voltage threshold (SVT) to provide a hybrid alternate voltage threshold (AVT) circuit;
- and
- saving each said AVT circuit in an alternate circuit library.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.