A Schmitt trigger to benchmark the performance of a new zero-cost transistor

Schmitt triggers are useful circuits in analog and digital domains, and they can be used to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of their constituent transistors. In this paper, a benchmark of a new zero-cost (in terms of process steps) medium-voltage transistor build via process optimization is performed in a 40 nm CMOS low-cost technology using Schmitt triggers. The process optimization lowers the threshold voltage, increases the ON-state current at the cost of increasing the OFF-state leakage current and the gate oxide capacitance. A circuit-level study is conducted to see how these characteristics translate into the performance of a Schmitt trigger. Measurements show a good correlation between the transistor-level performance and Schmitt trigger figures of merit.