A 36-bit x 32-entry fully digital ternaly content addressable memory (TCAM) using the Ratio-less 12transistor SRAM (RL-12T-SRAM) technology and fully complementary hierarchical-AND matching comparators (HAMCs) was developed for ultra-low-voltage operation. The minimum operating supply voltage of 0.25V which is the less than half of the conventional TCAM was experimentally confirmed by the developed test chip.

A 36-bit ' 32-entry fully digital ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) using the ratioless static random access memory (RL-SRAM) technology and fully complementary hierarchical-AND matching comparators (HAMCs) was developed. Since its fully complementary and digital operation enables the effect of device variabilities to be avoided, it can operate with a quite low supply voltage. A test chip incorporating a conventional TCAM and a proposed 24-transistor ratioless TCAM (RL-TCAM) cells and HAMCs was developed using a 0.18 µm CMOS process. The minimum operating voltage of 0.25 V of the developed RL-TCAM, which is less than half of that of the conventional TCAM, was measured via the conventional CMOS push-pull output buffers with the level-shifting and flipping technique using optimized pull-up voltage and resistors.