How Low Can You Go? Pushing the Limits of Transistors - Deep Low Voltage Enablement of Embedded Memories and Logic Libraries to Achieve Extreme Low Power

The rise of advanced mobile, IoT, and wearable devices, along with the growing demands of edge AI and wireless technologies, is fueling the need for lower power SoCs. Designers must optimize both dynamic and leakage power, ensuring efficiency without sacrificing performance or increasing area, as PPA remains crucial in advanced semiconductor SoCs.

Synopsys Foundation IP helps designers to achieve optimal PPA at the lowest possible voltages—approaching the threshold values of transistors. This approach significantly lowers power consumption and helps extend battery life.

This paper discusses:

• Deep low voltage needs (0.4v and below) for mobile, IoT, AI, HPC, automotive, and crypto applications
• Techniques for balancing PPA, including advances in memory assist methods
• Architectural and characterization improvements for lower voltage logic libraries
• Recent Synopsys Memory Compiler and Logic Library enhancements for deep low voltage operation, delivering significant power savings with high reliability