SMIC and Magma announce reference flow for SMIC's 90-nanometer low-power process
The SMIC-Magma flow utilises SMIC's 90nm standard cell and IO libraries with multi-threshold CMOS (MTCMOS) technology, along with Magma's low-power design flow, automatic switched domain creation, retention flip-flop insertion, and power analysis for active and sleep modes. These technologies coupled with SMIC's advanced 90nm technology enhance the customers' design by optimising dynamic power and minimising leakage power.
Blast Power, a key component of Magma's low-power design methodology, uses MTCMOS switches that control leakage power by connecting global constant power rails to local switched power rails. These switches effectively allow certain blocks in the design to be powered off depending on the mode of operation of the chip, thereby significantly reducing leakage power. It also meets leakage power requirements with libraries that automatically select the cells most suitable to control leakage. Blast Power optimises dynamic power with flexible voltage islands that selectively shut down different regions of a chip and uses automatic power grid synthesis to enable optimal power distribution.
