Static Power

Definition: Static power is the power consumed by a CMOS circuit when it is not actively switching.

Key Points:

  • Primarily due to leakage currents
  • Constant power dissipation, independent of clock frequency
  • Significant in modern nanometer-scale technologies
  • Increases with decreasing transistor size

Main Components:

  • Subthreshold leakage
  • Gate oxide leakage
  • Junction leakage

Reduction Techniques:

  • Power gating
  • Multi-threshold voltage transistors
  • Reverse body bias
  • High-k dielectrics

Importance:

  • Critical in low-power and standby modes
  • Major concern for battery life in portable devices
  • Increasing fraction of total power consumption in advanced nodes

Managing static power is essential in modern VLSI design, especially for low-power applications.