A compact model for projections of future power supply distribution network requirements

A closed-form worst-case IR drop model is developed to enable projections of the wiring resource requirements of the power supply distribution networks of future microprocessors and ASICs. The model is then used to highlight the design trade-off between I/O requirements and global wiring area needed for power distribution across three generations. For the 2013 technology generation, the global wiring resources exceed 40% of the available if fewer than 10,000 I/Os are utilized for power and ground.