Design of a 32 b monolithic microprocessor based on GaAs HMESFET technology

• Published in: IEEE transactions on very large scale integration (VLSI) systems Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 238 - 243
• Main Authors: Tien, C.-K.V., Lewis, K., Greub, H.J., Tsen, T., McDonald, J.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway, NJ IEEE 01-06-1997; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cache memory; Delay; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunctions; Integrated circuits; Integrated circuits by function (including memories and processors); Logic testing; MESFETs; Microprocessors; Multichip modules; Prototypes; Reduced instruction set computing; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Binary compound; Multichip module; Experimental study; III-V compound; Implementation; Gallium Arsenides; RISC processor; Microelectronic fabrication; Heterojunction transistor; Microprocessor; Monolithic integrated circuit; Metal semiconductor field effect transistor; Computer aided design
• ISSN: 1063-8210; 1557-9999
• DOI: 10.1109/92.585228

This paper examines the design of a 32-b GaAs Fast RISC microprocessor (F-RISC/I). F-RISC/I is a single chip GaAs Heterojunction MESFET (HMESFET) processor targeted for implementation on a multichip module (MCM) together with cache memories. The CPU architecture, circuit design. Implementation, and testing are optimized for a seven-stage instruction pipeline implemented with GaAs super-buffered FET logic (SBFL). We have been able to verify novel GaAs SBFL standard cells and compare measured CPU performance with performance estimates based on circuit and device models. The prototype 32-b microprocessor has been implemented using an automated standard cell approach because of time constraints and fabricated using an experimental process by Rockwell International. The CPU chip integrates 92340 transistors on a 7/spl times/7 mm/sup 2/ die and dissipates 6.13 W at 180 MHz. Test results from a prototype fabrication run have demonstrated the operation of the ALU, the program counter, and the register file with delays below 6, 5, and 3.4 ns, respectively. The successful modeling and verification indicate that a 0.5 /spl mu/m HMESFET implementation of F-RISC/I could achieve a peak performance of 350 MHz. The wiring delays account for 42% of the critical path delay.