Power Distribution Networks with On-Chip Decoupling Capacitors By Mikhail Popovich h • Andrey V. Mezhiba • Eby G. Friedman

The purpose of this book is to provide insight and intuition into the behavior and design of power distribution systems with decoupling capacitors for application to high speed integrated circuits. The primary objectives are threefold. First, to describe the impedance characteristics of the overall power distribution system, from the voltage regulator through the printed circuit board and package onto the integrated circuit to the power terminals of the on-chip circuitry. The second objective of this book is to discuss the inductive characteristics of on-chip power distribution grids and the related circuit behavior of these structures. Finally, the third primary objective is to present design methodologies for efficiently placing on-chip decoupling capacitors in nanoscale integrated circuits.
           Technology scaling has been the primary driver behind the amazing performance improvement of integrated circuits over the past several decades. The speed and integration density of integrated circuits have dramatically improved. These performance gains, however, have made distributing power to the on-chip circuitry a difficult task. Highly dense circuitry operating at high clock speeds have increased the distributed current to many tens of amperes, while the noise margin of the power supply has shrunk consistent with decreasing power supply levels. These trends have elevated the problems of power distribution and allocation of the on-chip decoupling capacitors to the forefront of several challenges in developing high performance integrated circuits.
          This book is based on the body of research carried out by Mikhail Popovich from 2001 to 2007 and Andrey V. Mezhiba from 1998 to 2003 at the University of Rochester during their doctoral studies under the supervision of Professor Eby G. Friedman. It is apparent to the authors that although various aspects of the power distribution problem have been addressed in numerous research publications, no text exists that provides a unified focus on power distribution systems and related design problems. Furthermore, the placement of on-chip decoupling capacitors has traditionally been treated as an algorithmic oriented problem. A more electrical perspective, both circuit models and design techniques, has been used in this book for presenting how to efficiently allocate on-chip decoupling capacitors. The fundamental objective of this book is to provide a broad and cohesive treatment of these subjects.
         Another consequence of higher speed and greater integration density has been the emergence of inductance as a significant factor in the behavior of on-chip global interconnect structures. Once clock frequencies exceeded several hundred megahertz, incorporating on-chip inductance into the circuit analysis process became necessary to accurately describe signal delays and waveform characteristics. Although on-chip decoupling capacitors attenuate high frequency signals in power distribution networks, the inductance of the on-chip power interconnect is expected to become a significant factor in multi-gigahertz digital circuits. An important objective of this book, therefore, is to clarify the effects of inductance on the impedance characteristics of on-chip power distribution grids and to provide an understanding of related circuit behavior.
         The organization of the book is consistent with these primary goals. The first eight chapters provide a general description of distributing power in integrated circuits with decoupling capacitors. The challenges of power distribution are introduced and the principles of designing power distribution systems are described. A general background to decoupling capacitors is presented followed by a discussion of the use of a hierarchy of capacitors to improve the impedance characteristics of the power network. An overview of related phenomena, such as inductance and electromigration, is also presented in a tutorial style. The following seven chapters are dedicated to the impedance characteristics of on-chip power distribution networks. The effect of the interconnect inductance on the impedance characteristics of on-chip power distribution networks is investigated. The implications of these impedance characteristics on circuit behavior are also discussed. On-chip power distribution grids are described, exploiting multiple power supply voltages and multiple grounds. Techniques and algorithms for the computer-aided design and  analysis of power distribution networks are also described; however, the emphasis of the book is on developing circuit intuition and understanding the electrical principles that govern the design and operation of power distribution systems. The remaining five chapters focus on the design of a system of on-chip decoupling capacitors. Methodologies for designing power distribution grids with on-chip decoupling capacitors are also presented. These techniques provide a solution for determining the location and magnitude of the on-chip decoupling capacitance to mitigate on-chip voltage fluctuations.

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