Subthreshold Operation and FinFET Quiz for ECE 412 Students

Questions and Answers

Why is there a growing interest in subthreshold operation?

Transistors are more efficient in the subthreshold region, which is beneficial for low power applications.

What is the main limiting factor to further planar scaling in advanced planar CMOS nodes?

Leakage current

What is the primary reason for the development of FinFET technology?

To address the limiting factor of leakage current in advanced planar CMOS nodes.

What type of applications require low power operation, making subthreshold operation more desirable?

IOT and wireless sensor networks Signup and view all the answers

What effect does scaling have on FinFET?

Scaling is a response to the limiting factor of leakage current in planar CMOS nodes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for the growing interest in subthreshold operation?

The transistor is more efficient in the sub-threshold region, especially for applications requiring low power operation Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of scaling in advanced planar CMOS nodes?

Leakage current becomes a limiting factor to further planar scaling Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason for the development of FinFET technology?

To address the limiting factor of leakage current in advanced planar CMOS nodes Signup and view all the answers

What types of applications require low power operation, making subthreshold operation more desirable?

IOT, wireless sensors networks Signup and view all the answers

Why are more and more applications operating at frequency ranges that can be met while operating the transistor in sub-threshold region?

To achieve maximum efficiency of the transistor (maximum $g_m$/Id) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Analog Integrated Circuit Design: Subthreshold Operation and FinFET

Subthreshold operation is gaining interest due to increasing technology ft values and the need for low power operation in applications like IOT and wireless sensor networks
Advanced planar CMOS nodes face limitations in further scaling due to leakage current, leading to the development of FinFET
Subthreshold operation is more efficient for transistors, particularly in applications with low power requirements
The subthreshold current is the current flowing through a transistor when it is in the subthreshold region of operation
FinFET is developed to address the limitations posed by leakage current in advanced planar CMOS nodes
The effect of scaling on subthreshold operation and leakage current is a key consideration in analog integrated circuit design
Increasing interest in subthreshold operation is driven by the need for maximum efficiency (maximum gm/Id) in low power applications
Subthreshold operation allows transistors to operate at frequency ranges that can be met while maximizing efficiency
Technology ft reaching high values is a contributing factor to the growing interest in subthreshold operation
Subthreshold operation is particularly relevant for applications like IOT and wireless sensor networks
The development of FinFET is triggered by the limitations posed by leakage current in advanced planar CMOS nodes
The interest in subthreshold operation is motivated by the need for low power operation and efficient transistor performance

Description

This quiz covers topics related to subthreshold operation and FinFET in analog integrated circuit design, specifically focusing on the growing interest in subthreshold operation, leakage current, the effect of scaling, and related concepts. It is designed for students of ECE 412 at Ain Shams University and is based on the teachings of Ayman H. Ismail.