Design and Implementation of the POWER6 Microprocessor

The IBM POWER6 processor is a dual-core, 341 mm², 790 million transistor chip fabricated using IBM´s 65 nm partially-depleted SOI process. Capable of running at frequencies up to 5 GHz in high performance applications, it can also operate under 100 W for power-sensitive applications. Traditional power-intensive and deep-pipelining techniques used in high frequency design were abandoned in favor of more power efficient circuit design methodologies. The complexity and size of POWER6, together with its high operating frequency, presented a number of significant challenges for its multi-site team to complete the design on an aggressive schedule. This paper describes some of the circuit methodology and implementation innovations used in the development of POWER6, with particular emphasis on custom, synthesized, register file and SRAM design, as well as the electrical characterizations performed in the lab.