Abstract: In a method of designing a system-on-chip including a tapless standard cell to which body biasing is applied, a slow corner timing parameter is adjusted to increase a slow corner of an operating speed distribution for the system-on-chip by reflecting forward body biasing, and a fast corner timing parameter is adjusted to decrease a fast corner of the operating speed distribution for the system-on-chip by reflecting reverse body biasing. The system-on-chip including the tapless standard cell is implemented based on the adjusted slow corner timing parameter corresponding to the increased slow corner and the adjusted fast corner timing parameter corresponding to the decreased fast corner. The slow corner timing parameter corresponds to a lowest value of an operating speed design window of the system-on-chip, and, the fast corner timing parameter corresponds to a highest value of the operating speed design window of the system-on-chip.

Abstract: In a method of designing a system-on-chip including a tapless standard cell to which body biasing is applied, a slow corner timing parameter is adjusted to increase a slow corner of an operating speed distribution for the system-on-chip by reflecting forward body biasing, and a fast corner timing parameter is adjusted to decrease a fast corner of the operating speed distribution for the system-on-chip by reflecting reverse body biasing. The system-on-chip including the tapless standard cell is implemented based on the adjusted slow corner timing parameter corresponding to the increased slow corner and the adjusted fast corner timing parameter corresponding to the decreased fast corner. The slow corner timing parameter corresponds to a lowest value of an operating speed design window of the system-on-chip, and, the fast corner timing parameter corresponds to a highest value of the operating speed design window of the system-on-chip.

Abstract: A method of constructing a standard cell library for double patterning lithography (DPL) includes dividing a standard cell into a first region determined not to have an interaction with an adjacent outer cell and a second region that is likely to have such an interaction, generating data representative of DPL patterns corresponding to the first and second regions, and generating a standard cell library made up of the data. The library is then accessed and used to form a DPL mask. The DPL mask can be used to form a pattern on a substrate made up of a layout of cells in which the pattern of the standard cell is duplicated at several locations in the layout.

Abstract: A power control circuit is connected between a power supply voltage and a logic circuit to switch power supplied to the logic circuit. The power control circuit includes a plurality of first power gating cells (PGCs) receiving an external mode change signal in parallel, at least one second PGC connected with one first PGC, at least one third PGC connected with the at least one second PGC, and at least one fourth PGC connected with the at least one third PGC. The second power gating cell, the third PGC, and/or the fourth PGC may include a plurality of gating cells. At least one of the second, third, and fourth pluralities has power gating cells connected in series. Each of the first through fourth PGCs switches power supplied in response to the mode change signal.

Abstract: A method of controlling the provision of a body bias voltage to a logic gate region of a semiconductor device includes; gating application of a clock signal applied to a synchronization element in the logic gate region in accordance with an enable signal, and providing the body bias voltage to each body terminal of a plurality of logic gates arranged in the logic gate region in accordance with the enable signal.

Abstract: In a method of designing a semiconductor device, a transistor included in a layout of the semiconductor device may be selected. A biasing data may be set for changing a characteristic of the selected transistor. A design rule check (DRC) process for the layout of the semiconductor device may be performed after ignoring the biasing data. An optical proximity correction (OPC) process for the layout of the semiconductor device may be performed based on the biasing data.

Abstract: In a method of estimating a leakage current in a semiconductor device, a chip including a plurality of cells is divided into segments by a grid model. Spatial correlation is determined as spatial correlation between process parameters concerned with the leakage currents in each of the cells. A virtual cell leakage characteristic function of a cell is generated by arithmetically operating actual leakage characteristic functions. A segment leakage characteristic function of a segment is generated by arithmetically operating the virtual cell leakage characteristic functions of all cells in the segment. Then, a full chip leakage characteristic function of the chip is generated by statistically operating the segment leakage characteristic functions of all segments in the chip. Accordingly, computational loads of Wilkinson's method for generating the full chip leakage characteristic function can remarkably be reduced.

Abstract: In a method of estimating a leakage current in semiconductor device, a chip including a plurality of cells is divided into segments by a grid model. Spatial correlation is determined as spatial correlation between process parameters concerned with the leakage currents in each of the cells. A virtual cell leakage characteristic function of the cell is generated by arithmetically operating actual leakage characteristic functions. A segment leakage characteristic function is generated by arithmetically operating the virtual cell leakage characteristic functions of each cell in the segment. Then, a full chip leakage characteristic function is generated by statistically operating the segment leakage characteristic functions of each segment in the chip. Accordingly, the computational loads of Wilkinson's method for generating the full chip leakage characteristic function may be remarkably reduced.

Abstract: A body biasing control circuit capable of being shared by a plurality of macro blocks and can independently control body voltages of a plurality of macro blocks. The body biasing control circuit includes a lookup table for storing a plurality of indexes where each index is associated with a body voltage appropriate for an operating state of a corresponding macro block. A control unit receives a corresponding index from the lookup table and generates a plurality of body voltages appropriate for an operating state of a macro block corresponding to the index and supplies the body voltages to the macro block.

Abstract: A multi-threshold voltage complementary metal oxide semiconductor (MTCMOS) flip-flop, a circuit including the MTCMOS flip-flop, and a method of forming the MTCMOS flip-flop are disclosed. The MTCMOS flip-flop breaks a leakage current path during a sleep mode to retain an output data signal. The MTCMOS flip-flop typically further uses a data feedback unit to retain the output data signal.

Abstract: A body biasing control circuit capable of being shared by a plurality of macro blocks and can independently control body voltages of a plurality of macro blocks. The body biasing control circuit includes a lookup table for storing a plurality of indexes where each index is associated with a body voltage appropriate for an operating state of a corresponding macro block. A control unit receives a corresponding index from the lookup table and generates a plurality of body voltages appropriate for an operating state of a macro block corresponding to the index and supplies the body voltages to the macro block.

Abstract: Multi-Threshold CMOS (MTCMOS) devices include a high threshold voltage current control switch that is responsive to a first control signal, a low threshold voltage logic circuit and a flip-flop that is configured to store data from the low threshold voltage logic circuit and that is responsive to a second control signal. A control circuit also is provided that is configured to change a logic state of the second control signal and then, after a first delay, to change a logic state of the first control signal, in response to the MTCMOS device entering a sleep mode. The control circuit is further configured to change the logic state of the first control signal and then, after a second delay that is different from the first delay, to change the logic state of the second control signal in response to the MTCMOS device entering an active mode. Related methods also are provided.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-threshold complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (MTCMOS) circuit system. The MTCMOS circuit system includes a single control transistor that it uses to switch a MTCMOS circuit between a sleep mode and an active mode. The MTCMOS circuit also includes a short-circuit current prevention circuit controlled by a MTCMOS control circuit. The short-circuit current prevention circuit receives an output signal from the MTCMOS circuit and selectively transmits the output signal to a latch circuit depending on the logic state of a control signal from the MTCMOS control circuit.

Abstract: A multi-threshold voltage complementary metal oxide semiconductor (MTCMOS) flip-flop, a circuit including the MTCMOS flip-flop, and a method of forming the MTCMOS flip-flop are disclosed. The MTCMOS flip-flop breaks a leakage current path during a sleep mode to retain an output data signal. The MTCMOS flip-flop typically further uses a data feedback unit to retain the output data signal.

Abstract: Multi-Threshold CMOS (MTCMOS) devices include a high threshold voltage current control switch that is responsive to a first control signal, a low threshold voltage logic circuit and a flip-flop that is configured to store data from the low threshold voltage logic circuit and that is responsive to a second control signal. A control circuit also is provided that is configured to change a logic state of the second control signal and then, after a first delay, to change a logic state of the first control signal, in response to the MTCMOS device entering a sleep mode. The control circuit is further configured to change the logic state of the first control signal and then, after a second delay that is different from the first delay, to change the logic state of the second control signal in response to the MTCMOS device entering an active mode. Related methods also are provided.

Abstract: A clocked-scan flip-flop for multi-threshold CMOS (MTCMOS) is provided. The clocked-scan flip-flop includes a first switching unit which switches normal data that are input from the outside and outputs the data; a second switching unit which switches scan data that are input from the outside and outputs the data; a latch unit which latches the data input from the first switching unit or the second switching unit; and a clock input unit which controls the switching operations of the first and second switching units according to the result of a predetermined operation on a clock signal and a scan clock signal that are input from the outside. The clocked-scan flip-flop has the characteristics of a complementary pass-transistor (CP) flip-flop, that is, low power consumption and high performance. Also, the clocked-scan flip-flop provides a full-scale scan function for test purposes.

Abstract: A clocked-scan flip-flop for multi-threshold CMOS (MTCMOS) is provided. The clocked-scan flip-flop includes a first switching unit which switches normal data that are input from the outside and outputs the data; a second switching unit which switches scan data that are input from the outside and outputs the data; a latch unit which latches the data input from the first switching unit or the second switching unit; and a clock input unit which controls the switching operations of the first and second switching units according to the result of a predetermined operation on a clock signal and a scan clock signal that are input from the outside. The clocked-scan flip-flop has the characteristics of a complementary pass-transistor (CP) flip-flop, that is, low power consumption and high performance. Also, the clocked-scan flip-flop provides a full-scale scan function for test purposes.