SHF: Small: Leveraging the Interplay between Process Variation and NBTI in Nanoscale Reliable NoC Architecture Design

University Of Florida, Gainesville FL

Investigators

Abstract

The trend towards multi-/many- core design has made network-on-chip (NoC) a crucial hardware component of future microprocessors. With the continuous down-scaling of CMOS processing technologies, reliability is becoming a primary target in NoC design. Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) is a critical reliability threat for deep sub-micrometer CMOS technologies. NBTI increases the PMOS transistor threshold voltage and reduces the drive current, causing failures in logic circuits and storage structures due to timing violations or minimum voltage limitations. Meanwhile, process variation (PV) - the divergence of transistor process parameters from their design specifications - caused by the difficulty in controlling sub-wavelength lithography and channel doping as CMOS manufacturing technology scales, results in variability in circuit performance/power and has become a major challenge in the design and fabrication of future microprocessors and NoCs. Since NBTI and PV affect both NoC delay and power, it is imperative to address these challenges at the NoC architecture design stage to ensure its efficiency as the underlying CMOS fabrication technologies continue to scale. The goal of this project is to develop techniques for designing novel, cost-effective router microarchitectures and adaptive routing schemes that mitigate NBTI and PV impact on NoCs by leveraging the interplay between the two. The scalability and sustainability of future many-core processors crucially depend on the dependability of NoCs. Mechanisms that can simultaneously tolerate PV and NBTI will be investigated for enhancing the reliability of NoCs fabricated using nanoscale transistor technologies. The educational and outearch activities include recruiting graduate and undergraduate students from under-represented groups for this project and integration of research and education.