Standard cells: Looking at individual gates in the Pentium processor
Intel's Pentium processor, released in 1993, showcased advanced computing power. Its design featured 3.3 million transistors, BiCMOS technology, standard-cell design for efficiency, and a sophisticated three-dimensional layout with four metal wiring layers. The processor marked a shift towards automated and efficient processor technology.
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Intel released the Pentium processor in 1993, marking a significant advancement in computing power. The Pentium series became synonymous with high-performance processors until the Core processors took over in 2006. Despite its complexity with 3.3 million transistors, the Pentium's circuitry can be observed under a microscope, showcasing unique design elements like BiCMOS technology. The article delves into the standard-cell design used in the Pentium, a method that automates transistor layout for efficiency. This approach contrasts with manual transistor placement, as seen in earlier processors like the Z80. The Pentium's construction involves four layers of metal wiring connecting transistors, showcasing a sophisticated three-dimensional layout. The article also explains the operation of CMOS circuits, detailing the use of NMOS and PMOS transistors in a complementary manner. Overall, the Pentium's design and construction highlight the evolution of processor technology towards automation and efficiency in layout and functionality.
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9 commentsThe grad student was Carl Sechen, advised by Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli.
This is because of CloudFlare.
When I go to the page, I get the CF "are you human" check, which I complete.
However, every image load is also getting that check, but those checks are not presented to me - just the image doesn't load because a HTML page is being returned.
So, can we all take up a collection so Ken can get a nice electron microscope, or what?
This scheme works even with just poly and one level of metal, but if you have enough metal layers than you can run them through the cells themselves. You just have to avoid the vias that take the inputs and outputs down to the transistors. You have an additional gain if you flip every other row of cells so that the PMOS of two rows have the Vdd rail overlap and the NMOS of two rows have the ground rail overlap.
https://www.vlsitechnology.org/html/libraries.html
https://opensource.googleblog.com/2022/07/SkyWater-and-Googl...
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