Adapting the Columns of Storage Components for Lower Static Energy Dissipation

Abstract

SRAM arrays are used especially in memory structures inside the processor. Static energy dissipation caused by leakage currents is increasing with every new technology and large SRAM arrays are the main source of the leakage current. We analyzed the content distribution of columns of SRAM arrays and based on the majority of the content, the body-bias of transistors are changed to reduce the static energy dissipation of these SRAM arrays. Our simulations reveal that when our technique is used in the register file of the processor, the leakage energy dissipation decreases by 39% and the total energy dissipation by 14% with an area overhead of 11%.