Voltage regulator with power rail tracking
Disclosed herein are related to an integrated circuit to regulate a supply voltage. In one aspect, the integrated circuit includes a metal rail including a first point, at which a first functional circuit is connected, and a second point, at which a second functional circuit is connected. In one aspect, the integrate circuit includes a voltage regulator coupled between the first point of the metal rail and the second point of the metal rail. In one aspect, the voltage regulator senses a voltage at the second point of the metal rail and adjusts a supply voltage at the first point of the metal rail, according to the sensed voltage at the second point of the metal rail.
1. An integrated circuit comprising:
a single metal rail including a first point, at which a first functional circuit is connected, and a second point, at which a second functional circuit is connected, wherein any difference between a supply voltage at the first point of the metal rail and a voltage at the second point of the metal rail is due to one or more parasitic resistances; and
a voltage regulator coupled between the first point of the single metal rail and the second point of the single metal rail, the voltage regulator is configured to:
sense the voltage at the second point of the single metal rail, and
adjust the supply voltage at the first point of the single metal rail, according to the sensed voltage at the second point of the single metal rail.
2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein each of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit includes an active circuit.
3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator includes:
a first transistor including:
a drain electrode coupled to the first point of the single metal rail, and
a gate electrode coupled to the second point of the single metal rail,
wherein the first transistor is configured to:
sense the voltage at the second point through the gate electrode, and
adjust the supply voltage at the first point of the single metal rail through the drain electrode, according to the sensed voltage at the second point.
4. The integrated circuit of claim 3 , wherein the voltage regulator further includes:
a second transistor including a drain electrode coupled to a source electrode of the first transistor, the second transistor to enable or disable current through the first transistor according to a control signal.
5. The integrated circuit of claim 4 , wherein the second transistor includes a source electrode coupled to another metal rail providing another voltage at the another metal rail higher than the supply voltage.
6. The integrated circuit of claim 5 , wherein the first transistor is a P-type transistor.
7. The integrated circuit of claim 4 , wherein the second transistor includes a source electrode coupled to another metal rail providing another voltage at the another metal rail lower than the supply voltage.
8. The integrated circuit of claim 7 , wherein the first transistor is a N-type transistor.
9. The integrated circuit of claim 4 , wherein the voltage regulator further includes:
a third transistor coupled to the first transistor in parallel, the first transistor of a first type, and the second transistor of a second type.
10. The integrated circuit of claim 9 , wherein the third transistor includes:
a source electrode coupled to the drain electrode of the first transistor, and
a drain electrode coupled to the source electrode of the first transistor.
11. The integrated circuit of claim 10 , wherein the third transistor includes:
a gate electrode coupled to a source electrode of the second transistor.
12. The integrated circuit of claim 10 , wherein the third transistor includes:
a gate electrode coupled to the drain electrode of the second transistor.
13. An integrated circuit comprising:
a first transistor coupled between a first metal rail and a second metal rail; and
a second transistor coupled between the second metal rail and a third metal rail, the third metal rail coupled to one or more functional circuits, the second transistor is configured to:
sense a change in a difference between a first voltage at a source electrode of the second transistor coupled to the third metal rail and a second voltage at a gate electrode of the second transistor coupled to the first metal rail or the second metal rail, due to the one or more functional circuits, and
adjust a third voltage at a drain electrode of the second transistor according to the sensed change in the difference.
14. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , further comprising:
a third transistor coupled to the second transistor in parallel between the second metal rail and the third metal rail, the second transistor of a first type, the third transistor of a second type.
15. The integrated circuit of claim 14 , wherein the first transistor is of the second type.
16. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , further comprising:
a third transistor including:
a drain electrode coupled to a first point of the third metal rail and the source electrode of the second transistor,
a source electrode coupled to the drain electrode of the second transistor and the second metal rail, and
a gate electrode coupled to a second point of the third metal rail, the one or more functional circuits coupled between the first point and the second point of the third metal rail.
17. The integrated circuit of claim 16 , wherein the third transistor is configured to:
sense a fourth voltage at the second point of the third metal rail, and
adjust the first voltage at the first point of the third metal rail, according to the sensed fourth voltage at the second point of the third metal rail.
18. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , wherein the first metal rail provides a fourth voltage higher than the third voltage, wherein the second metal rail provides the third voltage higher than the first voltage.
19. A method comprising:
providing, through a drain electrode of a transistor coupled to a first point of a metal rail, a supply voltage;
sensing, through a gate electrode of the transistor, a voltage at a second point of the metal rail, the drain electrode of the transistor coupled to the first point of the metal rail and a first functional circuit, the gate electrode of the transistor coupled to the second point of the metal rail and a second functional circuit, wherein any difference between the supply voltage at the first point of the metal rail and the sensed voltage at the second point of the metal rail is due to one or more parasitic resistances; and
adjusting the supply voltage at the first point of the metal rail, according to the sensed voltage at the second point of the metal rail.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first functional circuit powered by the supply voltage at the first point of the metal rail, the second functional circuit powered by the voltage at the second point of the metal rail.