VLSI Design

Pass Transistor Logic

[Adapted from Rabaey’s Digital Integrated Circuits, ©2002, J. Rabaey et al.]

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.1 ZALAM, 2007

 NMOS Transistors in Series/Parallel

‰ Primary inputs drive both gate and source/drain

terminals
‰ NMOS switch closes when the gate input is high

A B
X = Y if A and B
X Y
A

B X = Y if A or B
X Y

‰ Remember - NMOS transistors pass a strong 0 but a

weak 1

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.2 ZALAM, 2007

 PMOS Transistors in Series/Parallel

‰ Primary inputs drive both gate and source/drain

terminals
‰ PMOS switch closes when the gate input is low
A B
X = Y if A and B = A + B
X Y
A

B X = Y if A or B = A • B
X Y

‰ Remember - PMOS transistors pass a strong 1 but a

weak 0

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.3 ZALAM, 2007

 Pass Transistor (PT) Logic

B
B
A A
F B
B
0 F
0

‰ Gate is static – a low-impedance

low impedance path exists to both
supply rails under all circumstances
‰ N transistors instead of 2N

‰ No static power consumption

‰ Ratioless
‰ Bidirectional (versus undirectional)

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.4 ZALAM, 2007

 Pass Transistor (PT) Logic

B
B
A A
F =A•B B
B
0 F =A•B
0

‰ Gate is static – a low-impedance

low impedance path exists to both
supply rails under all circumstances
‰ N transistors instead of 2N

‰ No static power consumption

‰ Ratioless
‰ Bidirectional (versus undirectional)

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.5 ZALAM, 2007

 VTC of PT AND Gate

B
1 5/0 25
1.5/0.25 2

0.5/0.25
B=VDD, A=0→VDD

Vout, V
1
A 0.5/0.25
B A=VDD, B=0→VDD
F= A•B
A=B=0→VDD
0 0.5/0.25
0
0 1 2

z Pure PT logic is not regenerative - the signal

gradually degrades after passing through a number
of PTs (can fix with static CMOS inverter insertion)
ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.6 ZALAM, 2007
 Differential PT Logic (CPL)
A
A PT Network
B F
F
B

A
A Inverse PT F
B Network F
B

B B B B B B

A A A

F=AB
F AB B F=A+B A F=A⊕B
B

A A A
F=AB F=A+B F=A⊕B
B B A
AND/NAND OR/NOR XOR/XNOR

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.7 ZALAM, 2007

 CPL Properties

‰ Differential so complementary data inputs and outputs

are always available (so don’t need extra inverters)
‰ Still static, since the output defining nodes are always
tied to VDD or GND through a low resistance path
‰ Design
D i iis modular;
d l allll gates
t use th
the same ttopology,
l only
l
the inputs are permuted.
‰ Simple XOR makes it attractive for structures like adders
‰ Fast (assuming number of transistors in series is small)
‰ Additional routing overhead for complementary signals
‰ Still have static power dissipation problems

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.8 ZALAM, 2007

 CPL Full Adder

B B Cin Cin

A !Sum

A Sum

B B Cin Cin

A !Cout
B Cin

A Cout
B Cin

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.9 ZALAM, 2007

 CPL Full Adder

B B Cin Cin

A !Sum

A Sum

B B Cin Cin

A !Cout
B Cin

A Cout
B Cin

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.10 ZALAM, 2007

 NMOS Only PT Driving an Inverter

In = VDD
Vx = M2
VGS
A = VDD VDD-VVTn
D S
B M1

‰ Vx does not pull up to VDD, but VDD – VTn

‰ Threshold voltage drop causes static power

consumption (M2 may be weakly conducting forming a
path from VDD to GND)
‰ Notice VTn increases of pass transistor due to body
effect (VSB)
ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.11 ZALAM, 2007
 Voltage Swing of PT Driving an Inverter

3
In
In = 0 → VDD
1.5/0.25 2
x = 1.8V

Voltage, V
D
S
x
VDD Out
0.5/0.25
1
B 0.5/0.25
Out
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Time, ns

‰ Body effect – large VSB at x - when pulling high (B is

tied
i d to GND andd S charged
h d up close
l to VDD)
‰ So the voltage drop is even worse
Vx = VDD - (VTn0 + γ(√(|2φf| + Vx) - √|2φf|))
ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.12 ZALAM, 2007
 Cascaded NMOS Only PTs

B = VDD B = VDD C = VDD

G
M1 x M2 y Out
M1 A = VDD
A = VDD x = VDD - VTn1
S
G
M2 y Out
C = VDD
S

Swing
g on y = VDD - VTn1 - VTn2 Swing
g on y = VDD - VTn1

z Pass transistor gates should never be cascaded as on

the left
z Logic on the right suffers from static power dissipation
and reduced noise margins
ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.13 ZALAM, 2007
 Solution 1: Level Restorer

Level Restorer
on
Mr
B off
A=1 M2 Out=0
Mn
x= 0
A=0
A 0 Out =1
1
1
M1

‰ Full swing on x (due to Level Restorer) so no static

power consumption by inverter
‰ No static backward current path through Level Restorer
and PT since Restorer is only active when A is high
‰ F correctt operation
For ti Mr mustt be
b sized
i d correctly
tl ((ratioed)
ti d)

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.14 ZALAM, 2007

 Transient Level Restorer Circuit Response
3 W/L2=1.50/0.25
W/Ln=0.50/0.25
W/L1=0.50/0.25

2 node x never goes below VM

of inverter so output never
switches
W/Lr=1.75/0.25
Voltage, V

W/Lr=1.50/0.25
1

W/Lr=1.25/0.25
W/Lr=1.0/0.25
0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Time, ps

‰ Restorer has speed

p and p
power impacts:
p increases the
capacitance at x, slowing down the gate; increases tr (but
decreases tf)
ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.15 ZALAM, 2007
 Solution 2: Multiple VT Transistors
‰ Technology solution: Use (near) zero VT devices for the
NMOS PTs to eliminate most of the threshold drop (body
effect still in force preventing full swing to VDD)

low VT transistors
In2 = 0V A = 2.5V
on

Out

off but
leaking
In1 = 2.5V B = 0V
sneak path

‰ Impacts static power consumption due to subthreshold

currents flowing through the PTs (even if VGS is below VT)
ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.16 ZALAM, 2007
 Solution 3: Transmission Gates (TGs)
‰ Most widely used C
C
solution
A B
A B C

C = GND C = GND

A = VDD B A = GND B

C = VDD C = VDD

‰ Full swing bidirectional switch controlled by the gate

signal C, A = B if C = 1
ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.17 ZALAM, 2007
 Solution 3: Transmission Gates (TGs)
‰ Most widely used
C C
solution
A B
A B C

C = GND C = GND

A = VDD B A = GND B

C = VDD C = VDD

‰ Full swing bidirectional switch controlled by the gate

signal C, A = B if C = 1
ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.18 ZALAM, 2007
 Resistance of TG

W/Lp=0.50/0.25
30
0V
25
Rn Rp
20 2.5V Vout
Ω
Resistance, kΩ

Rp
15 Rn
2.5V
10
Req W/Ln=0.50/0.25
0 50/0 25
5

0
0 1 2

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.19 ZALAM, 2007

 TG Multiplexer
S S F
S
VDD

In2

S F

In1

F = !(In1 • S + In2 • S) GND

In1 S S In2

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.20 ZALAM, 2007

 Transmission Gate XOR

A A⊕B

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.21 ZALAM, 2007

 Transmission Gate XOR

weak 0 if !A

ff
off
on A • !B
A A⊕B
off
on B • !A

weak 1 if A
0
B
an inverter
1

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.22 ZALAM, 2007

 TG Full Adder

Cin

A Sum

Cout

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.23 ZALAM, 2007

 Differential TG Logic (DPL)

B A B A B A B A

A A

F=AB B F=A⊕B
GND
B A

B
GND

VDD A

A F=AB B F=A⊕B
VDD A

B B
AND/NAND XOR/XNOR

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.24 ZALAM, 2007

 Next Time: The MOS Transistor

‰ MOS transistor dynamic behavior (R

and C))
‰ Wire capacitance

ECE 4121 L07 Pass Transistor Logic.25 ZALAM, 2007