Delay-time optimization for driving and sensing of signals on high-capacitance paths of VLSI systems

Minimization of the delay times associated with driving and sensing signals from large capacitance paths by optimizing the fan-out factor of the driver stages, the gain of the input sensing stages, and the path voltage swing are examined. Examples of driving signals on a high capacitance path with two driving schemes are: a push-pull depletion-load driver chain and a fixed driver; and of sensing signals with two sensing schemes: a single-ended depletion-load inverter input stage and a balanced regenerative strobed latch are presented.