A 222mW H.264 Full-HD decoding application processor with x512b stacked DRAM in 40nm

Abstract

Today's multimedia mobile devices must support a wide range of multimedia applications in addition to full high-definition (Full-HD) video processing. Conventional hardware engine approaches [1-3] cannot handle new applications that may be required once the chips are fabricated. We report an application processor with a hybrid architecture that combines a software solution with a multi-core processor [4] for various applications and a hardware solution with hardware engines for low-power and specific high-performance tasks such as Full-HD video and 3D graphics. Another issue faced in multimedia mobile devices is to achieve high memory bandwidth with low power consumption. DDR memory connections in System-in-Package (SiP) technologies need a large number of I/Os or high interface frequency at the expense of high power consumption. A Chip-on-Chip (CoC) connection using micro-bumps [5] is a power-efficient technology to achieve high memory bandwidth and low power. However, in the case of the conventional CoC technique, customized DRAM chips are necessary, because wiring between a logic chip and a DRAM chip is implemented on the metal layers in the DRAM chip. To use a DRAM chip for multiple logic LSIs, the Stacked-Chip SoC (SCS) technology used for this application processor enables rewiring at the assembly/packaging phase using minimum 5µm-pitch metal wiring on the Re-Distribution Layer (RDL). We also report an on-chip power switch with a simple structure that inhibits rush currents. The application processor has 25 power domains and controls these domains finely to optimize for various ranges of performance requirements.