Efficiency of adiabatic logic for low-power, low-noise VLSI

In this paper, the efficiency of a fully adiabatic logic circuit is compared with its combinational and pipelined static CMOS counterparts. The performance of each circuit is studied in terms of the maximum frequency of operation, the minimum voltage of operation, the circuit energy consumption, and the switching noise generated by the circuit. An 8-bit carry look-ahead adder is designed using a 0.6-mum CMOS technology for all three logic styles. Based on the post-layout simulation results, the adiabatic adder exhibits energy savings of 76% to 87% and 87% to 90% compared to its combinational and pipelined static CMOS counterparts, respectively. It also exhibits a considerable reduction in switching noise, compared to its static CMOS counterparts.