IC Implementation

Clock-tree generation is coming under increased scrutiny because of its role in dynamic power consumption and problems caused by on-chip PVT variation.

FinFETs present a number of problems with respect to dynamic power consumption. Design techniques are being re-evaluated to deal with the issue.

The 20nm node can offer power, performance and area advantages, but making these gains takes a deep understanding of the interactions between process and design.

Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling is effective for low-power VLSI design. Body or back bias can provide additional control over leakage and performance.

Monolithic 3DIC integration may provide a viable alternative to conventional 2D scaling for SoCs if manufacturing problems can be overcome.

By taking the circuit supply voltage close to that of the threshold voltage or even below, it is possible to optimize low-power VLSI design. But there are pitfalls.

Design for security is an emerging topic in hardware engineering demanding a more holistic approach that traditional cryptographic implementation.

IC designers are becoming increasingly worried about the possibility of third parties inserting malicious 'trojan' circuitry into their ICs.

The increased use of IP and a rise in process variability is driving a move to look at alternatives to traditional low-skew clock distribution strategies.

The 10nm generation is the follow-on process to the 14nm/16nm node and will provide a choice of either finFET or planar FD-SOI architectures. But the likely absence of EUV will increase costs.