Bulk-compensated technique and its application to subthreshold ICs

A bulk-compensated technique to reduce process-related sensitivity in subthreshold integrated circuits (ICs) is presented. The bulk-compensated technique builds up a ´detecting-feedback´ loop, and achieves effective compensation for the process-related fluctuation of MOS transistors through bulk potential modulation, which greatly enhances the stability and robustness of subthreshold ICs. A bulk-compensated class-C inverter is implemented in 0.13 μm CMOS mixed-signal process. Compared to traditional class-C inverters, the sensitivity of the proposed inverter to process variation is greatly reduced.