Generalized Power-Delay Metrics in Deep Submicron CMOS Designs

Recently, designers have been using the energy-delay product as a metric of goodness for CMOS designs due to certain perceived shortcomings of the more traditional power-delay product. As the industry moves to 90-nm technology with higher leakage currents, it is appropriate to revisit existing design metrics. In this paper, a reevaluation of the metrics is carried out, and a generalized set of metrics is proposed. Supply voltage (V_DD) and threshold voltage (V_T) scaling are two popular approaches to power reduction. As such, the effects on power and frequency are analyzed, and the feasible region of operation is identified in the V_DD versus V_T plane. A fundamental relationship is established between the optimal operating points and the generalized design metrics. The initial findings also indicate that some designs may have a higher percentage of leakage than expected to achieve overall power reduction, running somewhat counter to conventional wisdom