All-digital PMOS and NMOS process variability monitor utilizing buffer ring with pulse counter

Abstract

This paper presents an all-digital PMOS and NMOS process variability monitor which utilizes a simple buffer ring with a pulse counter. The proposed circuit monitors the process variability according to a count number of a single pulse which propagates on the buffer ring and a fixed logic level after the pulse vanishes. The proposed circuit has been fabricated in 65nm CMOS process and the measurement results demonstrate that we can monitor the PMOS and NMOS variabilities independently using the proposed monitoring circuit.