Combining the advantages of low-power consumption of static random access memory (SRAM) with high stability and nonvolatile of resistive memory (RRAM), an improved 8T2R nonvolatile SRAM (nvSRAM) memory cell was proposed in this paper. In order to solve the problem that data cannot be stored when SRAM is powered off, RRAM technology was introduced into SRAM to realize an SRAM with nonvolatile function. The differential mode was adopted to improve the data restoration speed. Meanwhile, a pre-decoding technology was proposed to realize fast address decoding, and a voltage-mode sensitive amplifier was used to achieve fast amplification of two bit lines, so as to improve the reading speed of the memory. An 8kb nvSRAM was implemented with a CMOS 28 nm 1P9M process. The simulation results show that when the power supply voltage was 0.9 V, the static/read/write noise margin was 0.35 V, 0.16 V and 0.41 V, respectively. The data storage time was 0.21 ns, and restoration time was 0.18 ns. The time for the whole system to read 1 bit of data was 5.2 ns.
As the semiconductor industry enters the post-Moore era, the carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CNTFET) has become a powerful substitute for silicon-based transistors beyond 5 nm process nodes due to its high mobility, low power consumption, and ultra-thin-body electrical advantages. Carbon-based transistor technology has made significant progress in device manufacture and preparation, but carbon-based process design kits (PDKs) that meet the standards of commercial design tools are still an important bottleneck hindering the development of carbon-based integrated circuits. For the first time, a complete full-custom 90 nm CNTFET PDK is proposed in this paper, which includes Pcells for transistors, resistors, and capacitors; a compact model; DRC/LVS/PEX rules; and a standard cell and timing library. It can support the entire design flow of analog, digital, and mixed-signal carbon-based integrated circuits. To achieve an accurate compact model, the back-gate effect of CNTFETs and the influence of gate/drain voltage on transport probability are analyzed. Then the theoretical formulas for mobility and channel current are established. The comparison of the simulation and test results of CNTFET characteristics proves the accuracy of the compact model. Using this PDK, combined with standard IC design tools and design flow, the circuit and layout of an operational amplifier, SRAM, and 8-bit counter are completed. The simulation results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the PDK, laying a solid foundation for the large-scale industrialization of carbon-based integrated circuits.
This paper proposes a dual-mode CMOS analog front-end (AFE) circuit for short-wave infrared (SWIR) image sensors, which integrates a hybrid readout circuit (ROIC) and a 12-bit two-step single-slope analog-to-digital converter (TS-SS ADC). The ROIC dynamically switches between buffered-direct-injection (BDI) and direct-injection (DI) modes, thus balancing injection efficiency against power consumption. While the DI structure offers simplicity and low power, it suffers from unstable biasing and reduced injection efficiency under high background currents. Conversely, the BDI structure enhances injection efficiency and bias stability via an input buffer but incurs higher power consumption. To address this trade-off, a dual-mode injection architecture with mode-switching transistors is implemented. Mode selection is executed in-pixel via a low-leakage transmission gate and coordinated by the column timing controller, enabling low-current pixels to operate in low-noise BDI mode, whereas high-current pixels revert to the low-power DI mode. The TS-SS ADC employs a four-terminal comparator and dynamic reference voltage compensation to mitigate charge leakage and offset, which improves signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and linearity. The prototype occupies 2.1 mm × 2.88 mm in a 0.18 µm CMOS process and serves a 64 × 64 array. The AFE achieves a dynamic range of 75.58 dB, noise of 249.42 μV, and 81.04 mW power consumption.