JP2009164730A - Clock propagation circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clock propagation circuit capable of more surely suppressing the clock skew. <P>SOLUTION: Clock propagation drivers 11 and 12 inside a clock propagation circuit 10 stop propagation of a clock signal CLK, according to a clock stopping control signal SCS. A time-elapsed deterioration detection circuit 20 operates by the clock signal CLK propagated from the clock propagation driver 11 in operating the state among the clock propagation drivers 11 and 12, and detects own delay deterioration. An operating state switching portion 30 places the clock propagation driver 12 in the operating state, in place of the clock propagation driver 11, according to the detection of the delay deterioration by the time-elapsed deterioration detecting circuit 20, and continues propagation of the clock signal CLK, to each circuit in a logic circuit unit 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a clock propagation circuit, and more particularly to a clock propagation circuit suitable for use in a circuit unit in which clock supply is locally stopped.

  In recent years, there has been a problem of an increase in power consumption due to higher speed and higher density mounting of semiconductor integrated circuits. As a technique for dealing with this problem, a control for reducing power consumption by temporarily stopping clock supply to a circuit unit that does not need to operate among a plurality of circuit units mounted on a semiconductor integrated circuit ( Hereinafter, it is referred to as gated clock control).

  On the other hand, deterioration with time (operation delay) occurs in the transistor due to hot carriers, NBTI (Negative Bias Temperature Instability), and the like. For this reason, the local stop of the clock supply by gated clock control causes a bias in the deterioration with time of the clock propagation driver in the circuit unit, and this bias causes a clock skew generated between the circuit units.

  Conventional examples of clock propagation techniques capable of suppressing such clock skew have already been proposed.

Each time the clock supply is stopped by the conventional example gated clock control, a signal whose logic level is alternately switched between the low level fixed state and the high level fixed state is given to the clock propagation driver. A clock supply circuit that equalizes the influence of deterioration over time on the clock propagation driver and the influence of deterioration over time on a clock propagation driver that is not subject to gated clock control and is always supplied with a clock (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  As clock propagation techniques, there are reference examples shown in the following (1) and (2).

Reference example (1)
A clock redundancy circuit that determines whether or not the current clock is periodically supplied, and outputs a backup clock instead of the current clock if the current clock is not periodic (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

Reference example (2)
A clock pulse detection circuit that outputs a spare clock when it is detected that the pulse width of the current clock is narrower than a predetermined width (see, for example, Patent Document 4).

  In addition, as a technique for detecting deterioration with time due to the hot carrier, there is a reference example shown in the following (3).

Reference example (3)
A hot carrier deterioration detection circuit that detects a decrease in the oscillation frequency of the ring oscillator as deterioration of the main body circuit over time (see, for example, Patent Document 5).
JP 2006-21494 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-122939 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-124167 JP 59-55620 A Japanese Patent No. 3075233

  In the above conventional example, by switching the fixed logic level state of the input to the clock propagation driver that is the target of gated clock control, the aging deterioration bias between the clock propagation drivers (that is, the clock skew that occurs between circuit units). However, there is a problem that this suppression effect depends on the gated clock control interval, the clock supply stop time, and the like.

  That is, if there is a time difference between the logic level low level fixed time and the high level fixed time, the influence of deterioration over time between the clock propagation drivers is not equal, and the bias of deterioration over time cannot be eliminated.

  In addition, the above reference examples (1) and (2) are simply redundant clock generation sources, and even if the reliability of the supplied clock itself is improved, even between the clock propagation drivers generated by gated clock control. The bias of deterioration with time cannot be suppressed at all.

  In the above reference example (3), the ring oscillator is used to detect deterioration with time due to hot carriers.However, the deterioration of the oscillation circuit such as the ring oscillator that operates at all times is caused by the gated clock control. It cannot be assumed as a time-dependent deterioration of the changing clock propagation driver.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a clock propagation circuit that can more reliably suppress clock skew.

  A clock propagation circuit according to an aspect of the present invention includes: first and second drivers that stop propagation of a clock signal according to a control signal from the outside; and the clock by the first driver according to the control signal. Including a transistor circuit whose operation is stopped in synchronization with signal propagation stop, and selectively operating the detection unit for detecting delay deterioration of the transistor circuit and the first and second drivers, A switching unit that switches a signal propagation source between the first and second drivers, and the switching unit detects the delay degradation of the transistor circuit by the detection unit. Instead, the second driver is set in an operating state.

  According to the present invention, the delay deterioration of the transistor circuit that operates under the same clock supply condition as the current clock propagation driver to be gated clock control is reduced over time (clock propagation delay) of the current clock propagation driver. Therefore, the input clock can be propagated without delay because it is switched to the spare clock propagation driver. For this reason, the clock skew generated between the circuit units can be surely suppressed as compared with the conventional example.

  In addition, since the clock propagation driver can be switched and continuously operated, the product life of the circuit unit and the semiconductor integrated circuit can be extended.

  Furthermore, since it is not necessary to anticipate deterioration of the clock propagation driver over time, the performance of the clock propagation driver can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  An embodiment of a clock propagation circuit according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Configuration example: Figures 1 and 2
In the semiconductor integrated circuit 1 shown in FIG. 1, two logic circuit units 2_1 and 2_2 are mounted as an example, and a clock generation circuit (not shown) is provided at clock input terminals IT1_1 and IT1_2 of these logic circuit units 2_1 and 2_2. Are supplied via the clock propagation driver 3, respectively.

  The logic circuit units 2_1 and 2_2 are provided with control signal input terminals IT2_1 and IT2_1, respectively, and clock stop control signals SCS1 and SCS2 for performing the above-described gated clock control are input. The clock CLK input from the clock input terminals IT1_1 and IT1_2 is propagated by the clock propagation circuits 10_1 and 10_2 according to the present embodiment and supplied to each circuit in the logic circuit units 2_1 and 2_2.

  Further, the clock propagation circuit 10_1 is connected in parallel between the clock input terminal IT1_1 and each circuit in the logic circuit unit 2_1 as shown in the figure, and one of the clock propagation circuits 10_1 is activated to propagate the clock CLK. 11_1 and 12_1, a time deterioration detection circuit 20_1 that operates with the clock CLK propagated from one of the clock propagation drivers 11_1 and 12_1 in operation and detects deterioration with time, and this time deterioration The operation state switching unit 30_1 generates a signal (hereinafter referred to as an operation state switching signal) SS1 for switching the operation state of the clock propagation drivers 11_1 and 12_1 based on the detection result signal RS1 from the detection circuit 20_1.

  Here, it is assumed that the clock propagation driver 11_1 is designed to be in an operating state when the operation state switching signal SS1 has a high level and to be in a non-operating state when it has a low level. On the other hand, the clock propagation driver 12_1 is designed to be in an inoperative state when the operation state switching signal SS1 exhibits a high level and to be in an operation state when it exhibits a low level.

  The clock propagation drivers 11_1 and 12_1 are connected to the control signal input terminal IT2_1, respectively, and stop the propagation of the clock CLK by the clock stop control signal SCS1 even in the operating state. Accordingly, the temporal deterioration detection circuit 20_1 stops its operation in synchronization with the stop of the propagation of the clock CLK.

  Also, the clock propagation drivers 11_2 and 12_2 in the clock propagation circuit 10_2, the temporal deterioration detection circuit 20_2, and the operation state switching unit 30_2 are respectively the clock propagation drivers 11_1 and 12_1 in the clock propagation circuit 10_1, the temporal deterioration detection circuit, respectively. 20_1 and the operation state switching unit 30_1 have the same functions and connection relationships.

  In the following description, the clock propagation circuits 10_1 and 10_2, the clock propagation drivers 11_1 and 11_2, the clock propagation drivers 12_1 and 12_2, the aging deterioration detection circuits 20_1 and 20_2, the operation state switching units 30_1 and 30_2, the detection result signal RS1 and RS2 and the operation state switching signals SS1 and SS2 may be collectively referred to by reference numerals 10, 11, 12, 20, 30, RS, and SS, respectively.

  In addition, the temporal deterioration detection circuit 20 is a transistor circuit including a D flip-flop 21, a delay variable inverter 22, and a D flip-flop 23 as shown in FIG. The D flip-flop 21 inputs the clock CLK (clock CLK propagated by the clock propagation driver 11 or 12) inputted from the illustrated input terminal IT3 and the output of the D flip-flop 23. The variable delay inverter 22 inverts the output of the D flip-flop 21. The D flip-flop 23 receives the clock CLK and the output of the delay variable inverter 22, and provides the output (detection result signal RS) to the operation state switching unit 30 via the output terminal OT.

  Here, since the aging deterioration detection circuit 20 operates under the same clock supply conditions as the clock propagation driver in the operating state, the D flip-flops 21 and 23 and the delay variable inverter 22 are also subjected to the lapse of time similarly to the clock propagation driver. Deterioration occurs and operation is delayed (delay deterioration occurs).

  That is, the clock propagation circuit 10 regards the temporal deterioration detected by the temporal deterioration detection circuit 20 as the temporal deterioration of the clock propagation driver 11 or 12.

  The operation of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Example of operation: Fig. 3 to Fig. 6
Now, at time t0 shown in FIG. 3, the clock propagation circuits 10_1 and 10_2 set the clock propagation drivers 11_1 and 11_2 to the operating state, respectively, while setting the clock propagation drivers 12_1 and 12_2 to the Hi-Z state (non-operating state). Suppose that

  After this, when the clock stop signal SCS1 is input to the clock propagation circuit 10_1 from time t1 to t2, the clock propagation driver 11_1 stops the clock output, and thus the clock CLK propagation by the clock propagation circuit 10_1 is stopped. The

  On the other hand, since the clock stop signal SCS2 is not input to the clock propagation circuit 10_2, the clock propagation driver 11_2 continues to propagate the clock CLK.

  As described above, when there is a difference in the operation time between the clock propagation drivers, the clock propagation driver 11_2 is more deteriorated with time than the clock propagation driver 11_1 and a propagation delay occurs. When this deterioration over time is detected by the deterioration detection circuit 20_2 as described later, the operation state switching unit 30_2 operates in synchronization with the output clock falling timing (time t3 shown in the figure) of the clock propagation driver 11_2. The switching signal SS2 is switched from the high level to the low level, and is given to the clock propagation drivers 11_2 and 12_2, respectively.

  As a result, as shown in the figure, the clock propagation driver 11_2 transitions to the Hi-Z state and stops clock output, while the clock propagation driver 12_2 without propagation delay transitions to the operating state and starts propagation of the clock CLK. Therefore, the clock propagation circuit 10_2 can propagate the clock CLK without delay, and therefore no clock skew occurs between the clock propagation circuit 10_1 and the clock propagation circuit 10_2.

  Hereinafter, an example of an operation for detecting deterioration with time will be described with reference to FIGS.

Example of aging detection operation: Fig. 4 to Fig. 6
The deterioration with time detection operation is roughly the operation (1) when no deterioration over time shown in FIG. 4 and the operation (2) or (3) when deterioration over time shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6 occurs. Consists of.

  Hereinafter, these operation examples (1) to (3) will be described in order.

Example of operation (1) (when there is no deterioration over time): Fig. 4
As shown in FIG. 4, assuming that the input D1 of the D flip-flop 21 constituting the aging deterioration detection circuit 20 shown in FIG. 2 is at a high level at the rising timing T1 of the input clock CLK, a low level output Q1 is supplied to the delay variable inverter 22. As shown in the figure, the output Q1 is delayed from the timing T1 by the operation delay time of the D flip-flop 21.

  Then, the delay variable inverter 22 inverts the output Q1 to be the input D2 of the D flip-flop 23. As shown in the figure, the input D2 is delayed from the output Q1 by the total time of the operation delay time of the delay variable inverter 22 and a preset delay time. That is, the input D2 is delayed from the timing T1 by the illustrated operation delay time DLY.

  Here, assuming that the operation delay time DLY does not exceed the clock period of the clock CLK, the D flip-flop 23 displays the low-level output Q2 as the detection result signal RS at the next rising timing T2 of the clock CLK. It is given to the operation state switching unit 30 shown in FIG.

  The D flip-flop 21 provides the low-level output Q1 to the delay variable inverter 22 at the rising timing T3 of the clock CLK. The variable delay inverter 22 sets the input D2 of the D flip-flop 23 to a high level.

  If the D flip-flops 21 and 23 and the delay variable inverter 22 are not deteriorated with time, the operation delay time DLY does not change, and the D flip-flop 23 outputs the high-level output Q2 at the next rising timing T4 of the clock CLK. To the operation state switching unit 30 as a detection result signal RS.

  When this series of operations is repeatedly performed at the rising timings T5, T6, T7, T8,... Of the clock CLK, the temporal deterioration detection circuit 20 detects the detection result signal RS having a frequency four times the clock frequency as shown in the figure. Is generated and given to the operation state switching unit 30.

  The operation state switching unit 30 counts the frequency of the detection result signal RS and compares the counted value with a reference value stored in advance (in this example, a value four times the frequency of the clock CLK). Since they match, the logic level of the operation state switching signal SS is not changed.

  Therefore, in this operation example (1), the operating state of the clock propagation driver is maintained. Note that the operation state switching unit 30 is not limited to the one that counts the frequency of the detection result signal RS, and may be one that compares the detection result signal RS with a reference signal having a reference frequency, for example.

Example of operation (2) (when deterioration occurs over time): Fig. 5
After the above operation example (1), the D flip-flops 21 and 23 and the delay variable inverter 22 are deteriorated with time, and the operation delay time DLY increases. As shown in FIG. 5, at the rising timing Tj1 of the clock CLK, the clock CLK When equal to the clock period, the change timing of the input D2 (output of the delay variable inverter 22) of the D flip-flop 23 and the next rising timing Tj2 of the clock CLK compete, and the output of the flip-flop 23 (that is, the detection result signal RS) Frequency) is not fixed and is indefinite.

  In this case, since the frequency count value of the detection result signal RS and the reference value do not match, the operation state switching unit 30 switches the operation state of the clock propagation driver by inverting the logic level of the operation state switching signal SS. .

Example of operation (3) (when deterioration occurs over time): Fig. 6
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when the operation delay time DLY exceeds the clock period of the clock CLK at the rising timing Tk1 of the clock CLK, the input D2 of the D flip-flop 23 is at the high level at the next rising timing Tk2. The output Q2 of the flip-flop 23 is kept high. Thereafter, the output Q2 is maintained at the high level until the input D2 of the D flip-flop 23 changes to the low level at the rising timing Tk3.

  When this series of operations is repeatedly performed at the rising timings Tk4, Tk5, Tk6, Tk7, Tk8,... The signal RS is generated and given to the operation state switching unit 30.

  Also in this case, the operation state switching unit 30 switches the operation state of the clock propagation driver by inverting the logic level of the operation state switching signal SS as in the above operation example (2).

  In this manner, the propagation delay generated in the clock propagation driver can be easily detected from the frequency variation of the detection result signal RS accompanying the delay deterioration (increase in the operation delay time DLY) of the temporal deterioration detection circuit 20. In addition, detection of propagation delay using such a temporal deterioration detection circuit has an advantage that it does not affect the operation of each circuit in the logic circuit unit.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art based on the description of the scope of claims.

  For example, the aging deterioration detection circuit is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 2, but operates at the clock propagated from the clock propagation driver and causes at least delay degradation, preferably the same as the transistor circuit constituting the clock propagation driver. It is only necessary to include a transistor circuit exhibiting the deterioration characteristics with time. In addition, it is not always necessary to input a clock directly from the clock propagation driver as shown in FIG. 1 to the aging deterioration detection circuit, and an input clock to the clock propagation circuit and a clock stop control signal should be input as they are. Also good. In this case, the temporal deterioration detection circuit may be configured to autonomously stop the clock supply to the internal transistor circuit in synchronization with the clock stop control signal.

It is the block diagram which showed the example of a structure of the Example of the clock propagation circuit based on this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the example of a structure of the time degradation detection circuit used for the Example of the clock propagation circuit based on this invention. It is the time chart which showed the operation example of the Example of the clock propagation circuit based on this invention. FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an example of a temporal deterioration detection operation example (1) in the embodiment of the clock propagation circuit according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an example of a temporal deterioration detection operation (2) in the embodiment of the clock propagation circuit according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an example of a temporal deterioration detection operation example (3) in the embodiment of the clock propagation circuit according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Semiconductor integrated circuit
2_1, 2_2 logic circuit unit
3, 11, 11_1, 11_2, 12, 12_1, 12_2 Clock propagation driver
10, 10_1, 10_2 Clock propagation circuit
20, 20_1, 20_2 Aging detection circuit
21, 23 D flip-flop
22 Delay variable inverter
30, 30_1, 30_2 Operating state switching part
CLK clock
SCS1, SCS2 Clock stop control signal
RS, RS1, RS2 detection result signal
SS, SS1, SS2 operation state switching signal
DLY operation delay time In the figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

First and second drivers that stop the propagation of a clock signal in response to an external control signal;
Including a transistor circuit whose operation is stopped in synchronization with the stop of propagation of the clock signal by the first driver in response to the control signal, and detecting a delay deterioration of the transistor circuit;
A switching unit that switches a source of propagation of the clock signal between the first and second drivers by selectively operating the first and second drivers;
And the switching unit sets the second driver in an operating state instead of the first driver in response to detection of delay deterioration of the transistor circuit by the detection unit. . In claim 1,
The clock propagation circuit, wherein the detection unit detects that the operation delay time of the transistor circuit is equal to or longer than a clock cycle of the clock signal as the delay deterioration.

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