A buffer is an element which produces an output signal, which is of the same value as the input signal. We can also refer a buffer as a repeater which repeats the signal it is receiving, just as there are repeaters in telephone signal transmission lines. You must have noticed that we have two kinds of buffers (or any logic gate) available in standard cell libraries as:
- Clock buffer: The clock buffers are designed specifically to have specific properties that are supposed to be good for clock distribution networks (clock trees). The specific properties that are required in an ideal clock tree buffer are given as below. However, it is not possible to attain these ideal properties for every buffer at every technology node. It may be only possible to get close to these properties.
- Equal rise and fall times
- Less delays
- Less delay variations with PVT and OCV
- Normal buffer/data buffer: For a data buffer, the above properties are usually less desired
Usually, we can say that following differences may exist between a clock buffer and a normal buffer:
- In SoCs, clock routing is done in higher metal layers as compared to signal routing. So, to provide easier access to clock pins from these layers, clock buffers may have pins in higher metal layers. That is, vias are provided in standard cell itself instead of necessitating on having in clock distribution network. For a data buffer, the pins are expected to be in lower layers only.
- Clock buffers are balanced. In other words, rise and fall times of clock buffers are nearly equal. The reason behind this is that if the clock buffers are not balanced, there will be duty cycle distortion in the clock tree, which can lead to pulse width violations as discussed in minimum pulse width violation example. On the other hand, data buffers can compromise with either of rise/fall times. In other words, they dont need to have PMOS/NMOS size to be 2:1; and hence, can be of smaller size as compared to clock buffers.
- Due to above reason, clock buffers consume more power as compared to normal buffers.
- Generally, you will find clock buffers with higher drive strength as compared to normal buffers. So that a clock buffer can drive long nets and can have higher fanouts. This helps clock buffers, and hence, clock trees to have less overall delays.