Adaptive Voltage Scaling (AVS): Enhancing Chipset Performance and Efficiency

Table of Contents

Understanding process variation and corner tightening
Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS)
Introducing Adaptive Voltage Scaling (AVS)
AVS mechanism
Benefits of AVS
Enhanced power efficiency
Device aging
Conclusion

Introduction

Adaptive Voltage Scaling (AVS) is a critical technique in the semiconductor industry to optimize the performance and power efficiency of integrated circuits (ICs). In this whitepaper, we will delve into the principles and implementation of AVS, exploring how it addresses the challenges posed by process variation and how it contributes to delivering a seamless user experience. Additionally, we will position AVS with other solutions like Dynamic Voltage Frequency Scaling (DVFS) to get a global picture.

Understanding Process Variation and Corner Tightening

In semiconductor manufacturing, process variation is an inevitable reality. Different process nodes, fabrication technologies, and foundries (GF, TSMC, SMIC and other) face variations in the manufacturing process, leading to performance discrepancies among individual devices. Silicon vendors provide models that describe the extreme operating conditions of each chip, allowing chipset designers to understand their performance boundaries. Those extreme operating condition are called Corner cases.

You can find out more by downloading the white paper.