Adaptive performance control with embedded timing error predictive sensors for subthreshold circuits

This paper presents an adaptive technique for compensating manufacturing and environmental variability in subthreshold circuits using ¿canary flip-flop¿ that can predict timing errors. A 32-bit Kogge-Stone adder whose performance was controlled by body-biasing was fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS process. Measurement results show that the adaptive control can reduce the power dissipation by 46% in comparison with the worst-case design with guardbanding.