Subthreshold to Above Threshold Level Shifter Design

Authors: Chen, Tai-Hua; Chen, Jinhui; Clark, Lawrence T.

Source: Journal of Low Power Electronics, Volume 2, Number 2, August 2006 , pp. 251-258(8)

Publisher: American Scientific Publishers

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Abstract:

While subthreshold operation, i.e., using a supply voltage below the transistor threshold voltage magnitude, has been suggested to achieve ultra-low power operation, widespread usage requires simple, reliable, and efficient circuits to interface to other voltage domains. In this paper, a level shifter circuit design that reliably translates voltages from circuits operating with V_DD well below the transistor threshold voltage to voltages compatible with conventional CMOS designs is presented. The new low-power level shifter has been fabricated in a 0.13-μm bulk CMOS technology. The design has been tested to operate with the low voltage logic supply as low as 100 mV driving circuits at 1.2 V, and can work above threshold without modification. The design is analyzed to show advantages over conventional, as well as comparator based level shifters.

Keywords: CMOS; LEVEL SHIFTER; LOW-POWER; MULTIPLE-SUPPLY VOLTAGES; SUBTHRESHOLD OPERATION; VLSI

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1166/jolpe.2006.071

Publication date: 2006-08-01

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The electronic systems that can operate with very low power are of great technological interest. The growing research activity in the field of low power electronics requires a forum for rapid dissemination of important results: Journal of Low Power Electronics (JOLPE) is that international forum which offers scientists and engineers timely, peer-reviewed research in this field.
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