Background: Increased circuit density in integrated circuits has intensified the need for higher efficiency with regards to both power and energy for high-performance and low-power multicore processors. Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) is one method used to increase processor efficiency and reduce power consumption. The voltage or frequency of a microprocessor can be adjusted using DVFS; however if either is reduced too much issues with system instability and reliability will occur. Large transistor cells often are used to moderate these issues but as a result the space occupied on the chip is increased. Other methods use small transistor cells to maximize die space and improve performance but this increases power consumption. A system that maximizes processor efficiency without sacrificing space power consumption or performance is needed. Technology Description: UW–Madison researchers have proposed a heterogeneous cache structure that operates at reduced voltages and utilizes a combination of large and small transistors. Cache memory provides high-speed local storage for a processor that may help overcome the relatively slower access speeds available between the processor and the main solid-state memory. The improved design provides a cache system comprising a series of addressable transistor memory cells holding digital data when powered by an operating voltage. Individual cells in the cache system may be deactivated or activated as a function of operating voltage. The cache structure is one component of the integrated circuit design which also comprises a processor and a cache controller. Applications: 1) High-performance devices that utilize cache structures 2) Laptops 3) Smartphones 4) Microprocessors
1) Maximizes energy efficiency 2) Maintains performance and reliability 3) Reduces power consumption 4) Significantly decreases the area required by large on-chip caches 5) Provides a flexible tradeoff between performance and power conservation