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Superconductor Science and Technology

Reduction of power consumption of RSFQ circuits by inductance-load biasing

Nobuyuki Yoshikawa, Yuichi Kato

Published Nov 1, 1999• 80 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose an inductance-load-biasing method in order to reduce power consumption of rapid single flux quantum (SFQ) logic circuits. The main idea arises from the fact that a current source can be made of a large inductor accompanied by a large flux. In our proposal, the current source is composed of a large inductor L b , a small resistor R b and a small voltage source V b . Computer simulations of inductance-load-biased Josephson transmission lines (JTLs) show that an SFQ pulse propagates correctly when L b is large enough even if R b is very small. In order to implement the inductance-load-biased JTL, we have made two different layouts: one uses a large bias inductance L b of a typical stripline structure on a ground plane which occupies a rather large area; the other uses L b in the shape of a coplanar stripline, which costs a smaller area.

DOI
10.1088/0953-2048/12/11/367

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•Jul 1, 2011•0 citations
We propose an inductance-load-biasing method in order to reduce power consumption of rapid single flux quantum (SFQ) logic circuits. The main idea arises from the fact that a current source can be made of a large inductor accompanied by a large flux. In our proposal, the current source is composed of a large inductor L b , a small resistor R b and a small voltage source V b . Computer simulations of inductance-load-biased Josephson transmission lines (JTLs) show that an SFQ pulse propagates correctly when L b is large enough even if R b is very small. In order to implement the inductance-load-biased JTL, we have made two different layouts: one uses a large bias inductance L b of a typical stripline structure on a ground plane which occupies a rather large area; the other uses L b in the shape of a coplanar stripline, which costs a smaller area.
To improve circuit density and minimize static power dissipation in Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) circuits, this work investigates the application of inductively biased, unshunted Josephson transmission lines (JTLs) which achieve zero static power, compared with regular resistively biased JTLs. Both simulation and experiment results confirm that unshunted JTLs can reliably propagate SFQ pulses with a bias current margin larger than 50%. Based on this, a new fabrication process has been developed featuring eight niobium (Nb) layers, including two Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb junction layers, a dedicated bias-inductor layer, and dual DC-power layers. The vertical functional separation allows 2 active layers. The 1stactive layer uses conventional shunted JJs for logic gates, while the 2nduses unshunted JTLs with inductive bias. This configuration eliminates static power in the interconnect network and simplifies thermal management in stacked Rapid SFQ (RSFQ) architectures. A ten-stage unshunted JTL chain and a hybrid half-adder were designed and demonstrated. Measurements show a 66.7% reduction in static power and a 64.7% reduction in area compared with the Chinese Academy of Scienceconventional single-JJ-layer process. These results verify, for the first time, that inductively biased unshunted interconnects can be monolithically integrated with standard RSFQ logic, offering a scalable path toward ultra-dense, lower-power multilayer superconducting circuits.
Energy-efficient rapid single flux quantum (ERSFQ) circuits have become a viable alternative for the implementation of superconducting circuits due to a large amount of static power consumption in RSFQ circuits. ERSFQ circuits are built upon the popular RSFQ logic circuits by replacing the power-dissipating resistor bias network with a bias network consisting of active devices. In this paper, a simulation study of ERSFQ biasing scheme is carried out by building simulation test benches for both synchronous and asynchronous ERSFQ circuits. A study is carried out to present the optimum value of biasing inductance, influence of the feeding Josephson transmission line (FJTL) and the effect of its size, the effect of the feeding clock frequency, and the effect of the circuit operating frequency. An innovative clock-choking mechanism using magnetic Josephson junctions is also proposed for the FJTL in the case of no logic circuit activity for a current-recycling circuit block, which would help in eliminating the dynamic power consumed due to the switching of bias junctions in a logic circuit. Simulation results for current recycling ERSFQ circuits are presented along with a strategy for implementing large superconducting circuits.
High current requirements in single flux quantum (SFQ) circuits pose scalability challenges, contributing to issues such as high thermal loads, static power dissipation, and increased sensitivity to flux trapping under non-ideal shielding or cool down conditions. AC biasing, successfully used in other superconductive logic families, has been integrated into rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) circuits and typically includes AC-to-DC converters, introducing area and complexity overhead. This work proposes an alternative method for applying AC biasing to existing RSFQ circuits using inductively coupled bias junctions, eliminating the need for AC-to-DC converters. This approach also combines resistive DC biasing with inductive AC biasing, reducing static power dissipation. The proposed approach targets clock splitters, which are significant contributors to on-chip current demand, achieving an average 94% reduction in splitter current and a 62% reduction in overall system current with a Josephson junction overhead of 6.5%. The technique is compatible with conventional RSFQ system architectures and logic families while significantly enhancing energy efficiency and scalability.
An increase in bias currents supplied to single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuits is a rising problem in building large-scale integrated SFQ circuits, because the magnetic fields generated by bias currents and ground return currents affect the circuit operation. Current recycling technique, which can drastically reduce the total bias current of SFQ circuits, is expected to be a very effective solution for large-scale SFQ circuits. To realize the current recycling technique, signal transmission between SFQ logic circuits located on different ground planes is required. Two types of inductively coupled pulse transfer circuits were examined in this study. One is composed of a simple JTL driver and a DC-SQUID receiver whose junctions are slightly under-damped to enhance the magnetic sensitivity of the SQUID. The other circuit is composed of an SFQ driver based on a delay flip-flop (DFF) and a SQUID receiver. The advantage of the DFF-based circuit is that the coupling time between the driver and the receiver can be increased to ensure appropriate switching in the receiver junction. Two types of transfer circuits were implemented using the SRL 2.5 kA/cm2Nb process and their correct operation was experimentally confirmed. Circuit structures for effective coupling of the SFQ pulse transfer were also investigated. It was shown that a ground plane boundary should be separated from a ground plane hole underneath coupling inductors to obtain high coupling factors.
The increasing complexity of modern rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) circuits has made on-chip signal routing, an issue of growing importance. In this paper, several methods for routing large-scale RSFQ circuits are described, and a process is presented for determining when to use passive microstrip transmission lines (PTL) and active Josephson transmission lines (JTL). The effect of the size of the JTL inductor and Josephson junctions on the length of a JTL chain for a target delay is also discussed. The dependence of the JTL inductance on the physical layout is evaluated, and the effects of the primary PTL parameters on delay are characterized. A novel PTL driver and receiver configuration is also proposed. Tradeoffs among the number of JJs, inductance, and length of a PTL stripline in the receiver and driver circuits are reported. The energy dissipation is evaluated for two different interconnects. A tradeoff between the proposed PTL circuits and an optimized JTL in terms of energy dissipation and delay is discussed. Guidelines for choosing the optimal element values are determined, and a simulated bias margin of ±29% for the bias current of the proposed receiver operating at 20 GHz in a 10 kA/cm2technology for a 1-mm transmission line is achieved. Summarizing, guidelines and design tradeoffs appropriate for automated layout and synthesis are provided for driving long interconnect in SFQ VLSI circuits.
We have demonstrated rapid-single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) circuits with reduced power consumptions by lowering bias voltages and critical currents. The power consumption including a power consumption of a bias resistor is measured to be around 1 nW/JJ in 8-bit shift registers, while the operating frequency ranges from 7.5 GHz to 20 GHz. we lower bias voltages applied to RSFQ circuits. The values of bias resistances are proportional to bias voltages. At lowered bias voltages, the power consumption of the bias resistor is reduced. When a voltage begins to be generated at a Josephson junction, the net current provided to the junction and to the shunt resistor is decreased. As a result, the magnitude of the voltage is suppressed, and the power consumption of the shunt resistor is reduced. The power energy-delay product is about 70 times smaller and the the energy-delay product is more than 13 times smaller than that of the conventional RSFQ circuits. Low poewer SFQ circuits are superior in terms of energy-delay product to semiconductor circuits though the power consumption of SFQ cicuits contains the refrigerating machine.