High performance level restoration circuits

• Published in: Microelectronics Vol. 32; no. 12; pp. 1009 - 1016
• Main Authors: Moisiadis, Yiannis, Bouras, Ilias, Arapoyanni, Angela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2001
• Subjects: Back-bias; Bootstrapping; Level restoration circuits; Low power; Low-Swing; Bootstrapping; Back-bias; Low-Swing; Low power; Level restoration circuits
• ISSN: 1879-2391; 0026-2692; 1879-2391
• DOI: 10.1016/S0026-2692(01)00091-X

Three high performance level restoration circuits are proposed, which outperform the existing level restoration circuits with cross-coupled PMOS, in terms of power dissipation and delay. The first configuration employs a back-bias scheme in order to eliminate the stand-by leakage caused by the low-swing input. The second one adopts a bootstrapping technique, in order to restore the low-swing signal, without dc power consumption. Finally, a level restoration circuit is proposed, based on the generation of a narrow zero-pulse, for properly controlling the output PMOS device. The presented level restoration circuits can be implemented in standard CMOS technologies. By simulating the proposed circuits on a low-swing interconnect scheme, a 60% power savings have been observed over the conventional full-swing case.