Jie Ren
Sessions
Scaling up superconducting integrated circuits (SIC) represents a pivotal challenge in the field. Addressing this challenge necessitates a concerted effort across fabrication, design, and measurement teams. The development of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools is integral to this collaborative endeavor. These tools are essential for integrating new models and findings into the chip development process. Furthermore, EDA tools are invaluable for analyzing experimental data, thereby enhancing our understanding of circuit behaviors and facilitating more informed design improvements. Here, we present the JSIC-EDA system, a specialized suite of EDA tools developed for single flux quantum (SFQ) SIC designed to facilitate the scaling of on-site circuit development. The JSIC-EDA system integrates a 3D superconductor process model and a process design kit (PDK) database with state-of-the-art device timing, logic, and physical models, supporting comprehensive automated design processes for design and analysis on processes such as SIMIT-Nb03, SIMIT-Nb03P, SIMIT-Nb04, and other developing 3D processes. Ongoing development efforts are focused on creating new EDA algorithmic tools based on the JSIC-EDA system, aiming to further advance the design, analysis, and testing automation of superconducting integrated circuits as well as pioneering neuromorphic computing technologies.
Energy-efficient Rapid Single-Flux-Quantum (ERSFQ) circuits, combining low power consumption with high-frequency operation, present a promising solution for next-generation energy-efficient neuromorphic systems and high-performance computing. These circuits feature three distinct operational states: ERSFQ (with zero static power consumption), MIDSFQ, and RESFQ, with combined bias margins comparable to conventional RSFQ circuits. However, the practical implementation of ERSFQ technology has been constrained by the narrow bias margin of the ERSFQ state. To overcome this limitation, we present two novel optimization strategies: (1) a comprehensive analysis of the current compensation mechanism in feeding Josephson transmission lines (FJTLs), coupled with the development of a pulse-feeding technique that extends the lower margin boundary during measurement; and (2) an optimization protocol involving bias inductance adjustment and FJTL bias junction elimination to expand the upper margin boundary. Through the implementation of these methods on an 8-bit ERSFQ shift register, we achieved a substantial expansion of the ERSFQ state bias range from [94%, 100%] to [56%, 118%], representing a 930% improvement in bias margin. This research effectively addresses the challenge of limited bias margin in ERSFQ circuits, providing a more robust ERSFQ technology for future applications in neural networks and high-performance computing.