The Growing Need for On-Chip PVT Die Monitoring Solutions

Plymouth, UK -- October 1, 2013 – Moortec Semiconductor Limited, provider of mixed-signal IP and custom chip solutions, believe that on-chip Process, Voltage and Temperature (PVT) monitoring has become an important, if not essential, factor to the design and performance optimisation of small-geometry designs. Moortec, which provides high performance analogue IP to customers world-wide, produces temperature sensors, voltage monitors and process detectors for CMOS geometries such as 40-nanometer (nm), 28-nm and below. Using such monitors embedded within System on Chip (SoC) designs allows for greater dynamic performance optimisation, as sensing die temperature, detecting logic speed and monitoring voltage supply levels can be used intelligently to vary system clock frequencies and the voltage levels of supply domains. A key aspect is that optimisation can be applied to each and every device, either during production or when devices are 'in-the-field'. Moortec also believes that strategies adopted by Integrated Circuit (IC) designers over the coming years will be heavily influenced through the analysis of data harvested from in-chip monitors during the life time of each device.

"The greater process variability that is apparent at these challenging small geometry CMOS technologies is forcing the IC design community to look at conditions on-chip, not just generally but also per device and within regions of a device," said Stephen Crosher, Managing Director of Moortec Semiconductor. “The industry faces the challenge posed by demand for increasingly integrated, increasingly functional, giga-scale ICs for applications such as personal mobile technology and multi-core server configurations, whilst trying to improve battery life and maintaining good performance," Crosher continued to say. "At low-geometry nodes, track and via resistances are dramatically increasing, core supply headroom is diminishing and the power consumption per unit area of silicon is increasing, whether that be through static leakage current or dynamic current consumption. Our easily-to-integrate PVT monitoring solutions are well placed to enable Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) optimisation schemes to be used within the designs."

Moortec plan to continue extending their IP range within the embedded monitoring space by providing PVT modules, supply glitch detectors and DVFS sub-systems, making their technologies available on 28-nm and sub-28-nm process nodes.

See www.moortec.com for more information on the METS IP range.

About Moortec Semiconductor

Moortec Semiconductor, established in 2005, provide high quality analog and mixed-signal IP blocks as well as Custom Chip solutions world-wide for a variety of applications. The UK based design group also provide Platforms for IC test and evaluation. Having a track record of delivery to tier-1 semiconductor and product companies, Moortec provide a quick and efficient path to market for customer products and innovations. For information please visit www.moortec.com.